CRUMBS!
by LeftNotRight
Summary: "The leftover breadcrumbs from the actual loaves of the story"-Flowerhana2. A collection of side stories, dabbles and random one-shots for The Baker's Daughter!
1. Chapter 1: Cheater

**Hey, it me, Lenori!**

**So before anyone asks, no, PlunnyBreeder and I are not in a blood feud so I've stopped working with her on Cooling Rack: Patience is a Virtue; I have simply lost contact with her due to her life becoming, what I can only imagine to be, exceedingly hectic. However, I still do have a growing accumulation of little crumbs that hang around my computer after I finish packing The Baker's Daughter loaves and as such, I have decided to open my own little crumb collector to share with you all.**

**My Discord companions will also be assisting me in this quest with their occasional request for one-shots or inspirations. So thank you, to you lot!**

**. . .**

**And now, without further ado: Welcome to CRUMBS!**

* * *

** Cheater**

Timeframe: TYL-Everyone  
Characters: Daiki, Takeshi, Ryohei, Kyoko (mentioned OC)

A wee bit of angst'n'fluff to kick us off!

**Word Count: 2632**

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Takeshi beamed at me as I closed the door to our room behind my back, a loud, joyous greeting leaping from him, absolutely lighting up the room despite the late hour.

It broke my heart.

"Daiki! How was your day?" the Rain cooed, closing his laptop to give me undivided attention, like he always did, no matter how important his work was at the time. His smile began to fade after a moment, the familiarity he had with me showing as he started to sense that not all was well. "Shujin-chan, is something wrong?"

I thinned my lips and fiddled with the large, yellow envelope in my hands, before setting it down on his desk, making him glance between it and I.

"Look inside it, please," I uttered, fighting to keep my mind apathetic, even as my throat seized up, requiring an active breath to loosen it.

Takeshi blinked, before doing as I had instructed, taking the envelope, the paper crinkling loudly in the quiet room, a stack of photos coming to be pulled out. He paused, set its packaging back down, and began to quickly flip through the photos, his hands beginning to shake as he went deeper in.

"When were you going to tell me?" I asked, looking down at him, still seated. "Were you even going to?"

He didn't speak, still quietly paging through the slides.

I felt my eyes sting and grow hot, despite how I thought I had been thorough spent, as I caught unsightly glimpses of those photos. It hurt. It hurt so much to see them, so see the person I loved so dearly throwing his head back as someone, with brown cropped hair and a swimsuit suntan, buried his anatomy deep into their throat. The bed in the photo was familiar too, so were the walls and the desks and the pillows. Our room. That was our room in the Vongola Mansion.

In our room, in our bed, Takeshi had _cuckolded _me.

My lips came to be pinched between my teeth as I tamed the burn in my eyes, willing my vision to remain clear even as I saw the edges swimming. Fists balled at my sides and my shoulders tightened, breath attempting to harshen, but I held it all down and remained composed.

"Are you going to say anything, Yamamoto Takeshi?"

The Rain's grip was slack on the bundle. He remained muted. He and I both knew, that no defence could save him here.

I gazed at him a moment longer, seeing the ring on his finger gleam like mine did, before I turned and made to walk from our room.

"Daiki!"

Arms wrapped around my waist from behind and clutched brutally tight to keep me from fleeing further, my eyes widening for a moment before I regained my flat expression.

"Daiki, wait, I-" he started, holding me to him. "Let me just-"

"Why did you do it, Takeshi?" I asked, turning around and breaking from his grasp, gazing at him evenly. "Why?"

"It was an accident! I just- I don't-"

"You 'accidentally' let her suck you off?" I grunted sceptically.

"No- Yes! Oh, God, Daiki, I don't know!" he spluttered, reaching for me again, making me step back, not wanting any possible remains of weeks old vaginal fluid of some woman touching me. "I was drunk, and I missed you so badly and-"

"You could have called me. We always call," I responded.

"Touching! I missed you touching me!" Takeshi cried, stepping forward again. "I missed your warmth so badly, I missed being able to curl up against you! Talking to you can only fill so much of that gap!"

"So you replaced me?"

"No! No, no, no! God, no!"

I blinked at the surety of the denial but didn't let that little bloom of hope quench that painful drought in me.

"Nothing could ever replace you!" he shouted, a hand coming to clutch at the breast of his nightshirt. "Nothing! I swear, Daiki!"

"You were drunk," I began, watching his eyes rise and slowly light up. "You missed me. It was an accident."

"Yes, God, yes, an accident. Just an-"

"That's a lot of excuses you just pulled out, Yamamoto Takeshi," I breathed, my eyes critical to hide their cracks. "But not once have even thought to apologise."

The Rain ground to a halt. His smile dropped, and I could see the visceral terror that bubbled to life and flooded his veins. He stepped forwards, unsteady and shaky, before taking up my face in his hands, the palm painfully comforting, smelling of ink and bamboo.

"I love you. I love you so much. I could never want anything other or more than you because you are the peak of everything, Daiki," he panted, mouth dry in his panic. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry. My love, I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please. I'm sorry."

I wanted to hold him as he shook. I wanted to make it all go away, he never did anything, and we were happy.

Takeshi pressed his brow to my shoulder and wrapped his arms around my chest, shuddering every breath as he lined up apology after apology, oathing his heart to me. He froze, before he snapped his head up with wide eyes and gazed at me, his breath pausing within him.

"No...no, Daiki, don't cry."

I blinked, surprised, and another tear rolled down my cheek, following the trail the other had left.

"No, no. Please, I'm sorry, love, beautiful, don't cry," he urged brokenly, his own warm eyes going misty with salted water. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll make it better, don't cry, my love."

My heart squeezed at his words and the warmth of his body soaked into me with unrelenting comfort, luring me to lay my head on his shoulder and just forget. But I steeled myself and stepped back out of the Rain's embrace, turned on my heel and fled the Rain dorm. The sounds of Takeshi's shouts and attempt to follow me were silenced with the bang of the solid wood door, leaving me to bite my lip and let my feet to carry me away, unsure of where they'd take me in this place.

"Bro?" Ryohei asked, making me look up from the floor. We were outside his room, the Sun dorm. His eyes widened when he saw my state. "Come on, inside."

My wrist was grasped and I let my fellow Flame lead me in, the place warm and scenting of polyester and leather.

Ryohei dropped off what he had tucked under his arm, before turning to me again, both of us dropping down in his bed. A long sigh of exhaustion gushed from me as I relaxed a little, coming closer to cuddle with my warm brother Sun, his arms strong enough to hold me together as sluggish tears made their way down my face.

"What happened, bro?" he asked, rubbing my back.

I shuddered and pressed my face deeper into his chest, fingers coming to my hair and making me go up in tingles.

"...Takeshi has cheated on me with someone," I choked out, the sentence painful and bitter, an overwhelming desire to flush my pallet coming after.

"He _what!?"_ Kyoko bellowed, slamming the door behind her, violently kicking off her shoes before she crawled in with us.

"Imouto-chan," I breathed in surprise, feeling her squish me against her smaller body. "I thought you went out."

"I got the feeling that I needed to come back," She huffed, nosing at my nape. "And thank God I did, Takeshi _cheated_ on you!?"

Ryohei's grip tightened with each annunciation of the phrase, and I found myself crushed between my fellow Flames in a familial atmosphere.

"That's EXTREMELY unforgivable!" my brother growled, the young sister reaching to pull the blankets up and warm us, seeing how I shivered with every breath.

I coughed, my throat thick, before another bout of tears spilt before I could stop them. Kyoko hugged me, and like she was pushing them out, pathetic whimpers and moans of heartbreak lurched from my lips, leaving me heaving into our brother's chest, Sasagawa arms crossing to hide me from any further pain.

It hurt. It _hurt_. So _badly_. Why would he do that? Why? I thought we were doing so well! We were happy!

"Is it..." I began, shaking as the little Sun woman combed my hair. "Is it because I'm not feminine enough? I tried but-"

"No!" Ryohei blurted, "It's not your fault, nothing is your fault! Takeshi's the one to blame here, not you!"

"Ki-nee," Kyoko gasped, kissing my temple. "You're perfect, everyone knows that."

"Then why?" I groaned, clutching my heart as another wave of interior agony pulsed through me. "Why would he- Curel."

"Cruel," Kyoko agreed, kissing my brow again.

**. . .**

Takeshi sat on the floor of the Rain dorm, staring at the door, hoping, praying that it would open again and Daiki would come back. His chest convulsed in waves of pain; pain he knew he deserved.

It was an accident, sleeping with that woman. He had known it when he had brought her to the bed, but alcohol had been pumping in his blood, turned brown to blue and had removed the pale lines of bikini strings to a constant copper-tan. He remembered groaning the name of his wife from between gritted teeth, the girl kneeling before him giggling despite having no idea that amongst his drunken Japanese was a name.

When he had woken, the whole world had crashed down on his head, realisation and self-loathing swamping him before he cast the woman out of the Vongola Mansion, barely dressed and huffy.

He had spent the day scrubbing himself near raw, wanting that woman off of him, fearing that his Daiki would smell it on him. See a stain of lip tint, see a strand of brunette on her pillow.

His friends didn't know. Fellow Guardians unaware of how dirty and disgusting he felt as he skipped breakfast,

"_Love! How are you? I miss you so much!" _Daiki had cried through the screen, lips stretched into a warm smile that struck him deeply.

She loved him. Daiki loved him and was patient. And he had done _that_.

When she had arrived at the Mansion, she had wrapped him up in her arms and held him so tight he could have died there happily, head buried in her neck and bathing in her caramel. She crooned and kissed him, and finally, he felt clean, his wife purging him from the other's blight with her affection, legs wrapping around his hips as they laid together, lavishing themselves with their love. Takeshi made sure her pillow was flipped, and she slept more on his side than anywhere else, head resting upon his chest.

The Rain wanted to forget; he wanted to never revisit that pothole in his life that blunder upon the past. He just wanted to stay with his love here, with her, no one else. He'd never do it again, a mistake learnt. He'd suffer the cold of the bed to feel the warmth that came with her and not give into a glaze of alcohol.

Takeshi sat up finally and looked to the clock, seeing the night still young. He shivered from the cold, all the warmth leached from his skin. He got to his feet and turned his gaze upon the bed, before storming forwards and ripping the sheets off, pillows thrown and the heavy mattress dragged off.

He'd fix it. He'd make it better. He'd get rid of the traces of the woman so Daiki could sleep easy in their bed again, knowing only she and him were the ones to have curled together in it.

It only took his moments, minutes, to have piled the mattress and sheets up in the garden and had set them ablaze, the pillar of fire satisfying. He was burning the woman away, burning the mistake away…

A sob broke from him as he watched the mattress they had spent their wedding night upon burn because of him. The pillows Daiki had thrown at him when he chased her with a camera. The sheets Daiki and Lambo built forts from when they spent time with him in Italy.

Takeshi crumbled to the grass, sitting on his heels as he wrapped his arms around his knees and cried, weeping apologies into his night pants.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I love you, Daiki, I'm sorry. Please."

There was rustling beside him before warmth was wrapped around his shoulders. He gasped in surprise and turned, before whimpering as Daiki pressed him against her chest, the blanket she brought enshrouding them from the cold. The Rain clutched at his wife, holding her tightly, fearing she'd leave if he so much as lifted a finger off her.

The Sun sighed and placed a hand to the back of the Rain's head, cradling it as he wept apologies into her chest. She watched their bedding burn with a bitter taste in her mouth, only paying half an ear to her sobbing husband.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, please don't hate me, Daiki. Please don't hate me."

"I don't hate you," she breathed, wrapping him up tighter against her as a chill blew through. "But you hurt me. You've hurt me, Takeshi. My heart hurts so bad," her shoulders shook as she squeezed him, "Make it stop. Please, make the pain stop."

Takeshi swore he would lose his mind if he heard any more of her cries, her misery gouging out his heart and abusing him relentlessly. He coiled his arms tight before finding her lips with his own, moulding them together with desperate vigour.

"I love you. I'm sorry, I love you," he gasped between kisses. "I'll never do it again. I love you, I promise, I'll never make this mistake twice."

Daiki gazed at him with tear glassy eyes, unmoved though her embrace consumed him.

"I love you too," she began, her voice crackling like the fire of their sheets. "So I'm giving you another chance, Yamamoto Takeshi. Do not make a cuckold of me again."

"I won't. I won't, I swear," Takeshi promised, grasping her shoulders.

She stared at him for a moment longer, cold and hurt, before she smiled, soft and pure and Takeshi _hated _himself.

"Then happy we will be, you and me," and his wife brought him against her chest, the blanket wrapped around them warmly as they watched their possession burn.

"Those sheets aren't…"

"No," Takeshi sighed, curled against her. "Those aren't our wedding sheets. Those were...those were still in the closet."

"...At least there's that," She murmured, and he cuddled her again.

"I'm sorry, my love, I'm sorry."

Daiki turned her head, before leaning forwards and pressing a kiss onto his brow, mocha eyes squeezing shut as she peppered slow affection to his tear-tacky face.

"I think...I'll forgive you eventually, my darling," she sighed, "Just...not immediately."

"I know. I'm sorry, I know. I'll make it better. Whatever you want, I'll make it better,"

The Sun hummed and tucked her husband's head under her chin, dragging blunt nails along his arm, feeling goosebumps rise as another blast of wind went through the yard.

"First things first, we're going to need a new mattress."

"I'll make sure it's bigger and better than that one," he promised, before getting a gentle squeeze.

"No...No, make it the same size. I want to be able to sleep in our wedding sheets again tomorrow."

Takeshi blinked, before smiling small and nuzzling the underside of her jaw, kissing at it, and settling down in her lap, listening to her pulse.

"Whatever you want, my shujin-chan. I love you."

"I love you too, shujin-kun."


	2. Chapter 2: Depression

**Depression**

Some Context: I originally meant this to be a resolution to a different timeline in The Baker's Daughter and would have been used if Takeshi had continued to be weird about Daiki's reveal and, as a result, Daiki convinced him they should not break up but see other people - introducing Yomi. But since that's not what happened, I've written a couple of alternative scenes and this has become redundant.

Timeframe: A month post-Future Arc

Characters: Daiki, Takeshi, minor Ryohei (mentioned OC)

**Word Count: 6,822**

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"What do you mean?" I asked, furrowing my eyebrows as I stared down at the Sky and Storm. "Two days and no word?"

"Yeah," Tsuna nodded, Gokudera lowering his head a bit. "He doesn't answer his phone, and we've called him a few times. Maybe four or five?"

A long breath left me as I looked to Ryohei, his arms crossed and teeth worrying the corner of his lips as he glanced between me and the Vongola two. Giving myself a moment, I cast my gaze around before sighing and running my hand through my hair, an unsettlement coming to my stomach.

"Have either of you gone to his house? Checked up on him?"

"We tried yesterday, but-" Tsuna glanced to his Storm for support, the Italian boy scowling softly as he leant back in his chair.

"The freak's dad shooed us off. We were kind of late, I guess."

I thinned my lips, before putting my hands on my hips and sighed, foot tapping in increasing worry.

"Hibari!" I called, spinning on my heel and intercepting the Skylark as he strode past the door to 2-A.

"What, handler?" he grunted, pausing to look up at me through slanted eyes.

"I'm skipping the rest of school-"

There was a flash of eyes and I stepped back to let a tonfa scrape through the air.

"To check on the wellbeing of a Namimori student who has been unable to attend scheduled classes," I finished.

A breath of relief hissed out as the Cloud eyed me before nodding and stalking off. Putting a hand over my heart, I heaved before returning to the desks of the Vongola, the three of them giving me startled looks.

"You're going? Now?" Tsuna gaped.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? You and Takeshi aren't- well…"

"It's fine," I hummed, glancing to the clock. "I think...Yeah, I'll go. Can you watch my bag for me? Jun-kun will take it after school."

"Alright," the Sun nodded, before watching me go.

. . .

Peering into the store I ignored the looks of disapproval I was receiving, focusing my attention on trying to spot the owner of TakeSushi. The door to the kitchens swung open, and I gulped when our eyes met, nearly shrivelling when two separate emotions flashed through the swordsman's eyes.

It was the anger that made me was to book it out of there, but it was the faintest flicker of relief and hope that made me step in.

"Hey, Tsuyoshi-san," I coughed, hands clasped behind me as I withered under the man's eyes.

"Hello Daiki," he gritted, leaving me to simper under his glare.

The father narrowed his eyes for another moment, before shaking his chin towards the door of the residence, a gruff sound leaving him as he did.

"Get going then. It took you long enough."

"Yes sir, sorry sir," I murmured rushedly, before speed walking out of the sushi bar, closing the door firmly behind me.

Giving a loud whoosh of breath, I slumped against the door and groaned, knowing for a fact that I would never not have a healthy fear of that man. Shaking myself off, I stood and made my way over, pausing at the familiar sticker-outline covered door.

I bit my lip as I shuffled unsurely, fingers curling and uncurling in my palm as I glanced from the knob to the rest of the plain.

Should I be...Yeah. Yes, Takeshi, my lover or not, was still someone I cared for on an unfathomable level. If he was feeling so...unwell that he couldn't attend school or even respond to calls, I should definitely check on him.

Tsuyoshi had given me the go ahead.

I reached out and rapped my knuckles against the door in soft yet sounding notes. There was shuffling from within the room, like someone turning over in their bed, before a tired voice called out.

_"Yeah?"_

I opened my mouth but found myself unable to utter anything.

_"You can come in."_

He must have thought I was his father, with how willing he was to open himself. I thinned my lips and steeled myself, before pushing the door open and locating the little Rain.

The curtains were drawn, and it cast the room in a hazy darkness, thin strips of sunlight tossed carelessly across the floor alongside clothes and other articles. A lump in the sheets caught my attention, and my face fell in a kind of helpless woe as the flat, dark hair of the Rain poked out the top.

Walking over, I stepped around discarded baseballs and magazines, a bit of homework here and a sock over there. As I came to a stop beside the boy's bed, I paused, the flash of his phone catching my attention.

Glancing between the two, I reached out and flipped it from its face-down position and opened it.

_4 missed calls from Tsuna._

_4 messages from Tsuna._

_1 missed call from Gokudera._

_12 messages from Gokudera._

"Oh, Takeshi…" I breathed, looking them over.

The sheets shifted suddenly, and then dark mocha eyes peeked out from within, unsure and more than a little drained.

Not tired, no. Drained.

"Daiki?" Takeshi whispered like he wasn't sure that I was there.

"Hey," I smiled, closing the phone and lowering myself to sit on the floor, eye level with the Rain. "How are you? You've been missing from school."

Eyes flickered.

"I'm just a bit sick is all," he laughed, the sound like injected silicon.

"Really?" I asked, not believing, but not showing that. "Did you catch it from someone?"

"Maybe…" he started, "Maybe another student."

"Mm," I agreed softly, nodding my head a little. "Can I feel your forehead? Is it bad?"

"Not really, just a bit annoying, you know?" the Rain murmured, watching my hand as it rose like some sort of threat.

I stopped at the look, before lowering it onto the bed, letting my hand rest just beyond his den, where he could see it.

"Have you been in bed all day?" I asked, leaning forward to rest my chin on my arms.

"Mm," he nodded, and I swore he squirmed to be closer.

I smiled at him, taking in how his face shone in certain parts with oil, his hair pressed flat and his lips pressed tight.

"Takeshi," I started, this time, letting the worry pinch my brow. "Are you sure you're okay?"

Takeshi didn't answer.

I took a breath and stood slowly before moving away from his bedside. Takeshi jumped the slightest bit at that, and I looked over my shoulder at the sound, hissing when I saw him clutching his blankets in a threat to rip the threads.

"I'm not going anywhere," I assured softly, taking off my blazer and unloading my phone from my pocket. "I'm just getting settled."

Humming a low tune that I knew we both recognised, I walked back over to the Rain's bed and pushed him the slightest bit. Brown eyes blinked at me before he moved back, and I crawled into the newly vacated space.

"You're not feeling too happy right now, are you?" I breathed, sitting up against the headboard.

"Not...Not really," he murmured, looking off.

I gazed at him for a few more moments, before glancing to the pictures on the wall, stalling when I saw a frame I didn't recognise. It was bright pink and possessed plastic hearts tacky with glitter, making it clear that Takeshi wasn't the one who bought it himself. My lips thinned when I saw the faces cramped uncomfortably into the frame, Yomi grinning with teeth from behind a layer of admittedly well applied gloss.

The sudden reminder made me rethink where I was, and if I should have just mentioned it to his new partner instead, but a small tug at my pant leg drew my attention from my inner workings. Tanned fingers pinched the material the slightest bit, and my heart lurched when I saw how knuckle were worried raw, red with irritation.

Looking to the curled up mass, I sighed, before reaching out, a bit unsurely, and slowly pulling the boy up onto my chest, his head falling onto my shoulder. Takeshi stiffened, but that only lasted until I dragged the blankets of his sanctuary over him again, fitting the soft wrapping around his frame, before securing him with my arms. He seemed to shudder despite how near unbearably warm he was and pressed closer as I pressed my cheek to the top of his head.

"Takeshi," I sighed, "Be kind to yourself."

The Rain blinked at the far wall, but his hand came to grip at my shirt.

"Do you want to tell me what's wrong? Really?"

Lips became pressed together as the swordsman coiled, making me pause and rethink my approach. Squeezing the swordsman gently, I felt the other inhale from my collar, a soft little action that I would usually miss. A hand came off his side, and I used it to softly card his hair, combing the locks out of his eyes and allowing me to just gently tap my nose against his brow.

"Friend, you make me worry," I murmured, patting the puffed blankets that curled around his hip.

Takeshi moved groggily and I sighed as I cuddled him to me, feeling the boy accept, and perhaps even mould into the embrace.

We stayed like that until the sun had shifted its position in the sky, tainting it peach as I breathed into the Rain's ear, just remaining in the quiet company. He had probably fallen asleep at some point, his eyes shut and his face peaceful as he curled in my chest, hand never losing its hold on my breast pocket, threatening to rip it off with a great grip.

At one point, the door cracked open, and Tsuyoshi peeked in. We glanced to each other, before I turned my attention back on the boy in my arms, softly dragging my fingers down the length of his spine, making croaked little croons come from his vocals. The father looked between us, before nodding and closing the door behind him as he vanished again, leaving me to lie with his son who slowly roused at the soft click of the door.

"Hey," I greeted quietly as mocha eyes blinked up at me blearily, my hand touching at the shell of his ear in a familiar manner. "Have a good sleep?"

Takeshi gazed for a few seconds more, before nodding slowly, the corners of his lips quivering into a fragile smile. He lowered his head until his cheek rested on my chest as he looked up at me, still rather subdued, but seemingly in a lighter mood than before.

I smiled and grazed his cheek with my knuckles before carding his scalp.

"When was the last time you took a shower?" I asked, not offensively, just another conversation starter.

He thinned his lips.

"I think...Monday morning," came his careful response.

Today was Wednesday.

A long breath flowed from my lips, and I carefully slipped him from on top of me, laying him on his side and touching at his crown. Tilting my head down at him I smiled softly before getting to my feet, screeching to a halt as a hand bound my wrist.

"Don't..."

"Just give me a sec, yeah?" I urged, fingering at his hand, before grabbing my blazer off the back of his chair.

Flapping it out, I wrung it to make it firm before offering the material to the boy, watching as he eyed it, before dragging the piece into his den. The way he hid his face in the back of my blazer made me smile, and I lightly trailed my fingers along the rise of his cheek, before stepping back and leaving the room slowly.

Finding the bathroom a couple of doors down, I grabbed a plastic bowl from the rack and splashed down the bath quickly, getting any hair or dust that remained gone from the sides, before wrestling the plug free from a pile of sponges and filling the tub with steaming water. As it rose, I grabbed two towels and hung them over the screen of the shower, leaving them to sway with one another as I checked the water temperature and manipulated the knobs to lessen the heat.

Returning to the Rain's room, I leant forwards and carefully dislodged the boy's blankets, humming a tune to him as he curled with the reveal.

"Come on, Takeshi, let's go now," I urged, offering him my hand.

Takeshi stared at me for a few moments, before sighing, and unfurling his long body with a kind of creaky sluggishness. His warm hand slid into mine and I tried to ignore how much I paid attention to the weight and heat that came with it, instead, tugging him up and out of his bed with a few coaxing smiled and laughs.

"Oh, don't make that face!" I chuckled, seeing the way he created a miffed pout as he was fully drawn from the realm of his room.

His cheek puffed the tiniest bit, and I pulled him a step closer to me as we continued down, passing Tsuyoshi who glanced at us from the resident door and closed it behind him.

"Here we go," I hummed, feeling the water again before spinning the knobs off. "I think that's warm enough."

Takeshi kept looking at me, not having moved from where I had left him just within the door, fingering his own hand in an almost absent manner.

"Come now, friend, you know how to do this," I laughed, coming up and lightly touching his biceps in a familiar manner.

He glanced up to my eyes before dropping them to the side.

"Don't...Don't call me that."

I blinked, head cocking the slightest bit.

"Don't call you…?"

"'Friend'," he uttered, this time, holding my gaze. "Don't call me 'friend'. Please. I am a lot of things but only your friend isn't...Daiki."

He stepped forward and grabbed at the end of my shirt, looking imploring as my hand automatically took up his cheek in a soft manner, thumbing long his cheekbone. My lips pulled into a worried frown as he slid his hands to settle on the low of my back, trying to press me closer, but I kept my ground.

"Remember to make room for Yomi-san," I breathed.

And in an instant, I knew I had hurt something within him.

He seemed to shrivel at the name alone, eyes and hands falling as his head bowed in quiet acceptance of the refusal.

It was painful. My heart was being crushed in a vice-

I coaxed him to undress and led him to the steaming bath, hand offered as assistance, to which he took and refused to let go of afterwards. A sigh escaped me at the action, but as I set myself down on a stool beside the bath, I pressed my cheek to the back of his hand, exhaling into the raw mounds of his knuckles to sooth them.

"I don't like Yomi-chan."

I looked up from the soft attention at his confession.

"You're dating her though," I uttered, blowing cool air onto his wounds. "You must like her to an extent."

"No," he denied, still looking at the rippling surface of the water. "I don't."

My fingers danced across the crimson hills of his knuckles slowly, and I only watched with a quiet acceptance as his hands rose free of mine and wrapped around my shoulders. He was as strong as he was fragile, and my resistance was as brittle as it was sturdy, causing our brows to rest against each other at the porcelain border between us, mute puffs of steam rising and brushing out cheeks as we sat in silence.

"I love you."

My arm came up and wrapped around him, pulling the Rain against the edge as he spoke again softly.

"I love you."

"You need to take better care of yourself," I sighed, rubbing circles into his shoulder blade with my thumb, letting him bump to tips of our noses together. "C'mon, let's get you clean."

"You love me, too,"

I pressed my lips tightly together and began to mutely wash water across his back, feeling him cling to me for comfort. Comfort I was all too willing to give.

"You love me too. That's why you came."

A hand slid from my back and dragged until my cheek was forcefully turned, amber-earth meeting mocha. Takeshi looked tired but determined to get his point across, and by this point, I was already weak in heart and mind.

"You love me. Don't you?"

"Takeshi-"

"You love me," he insisted, cupping my cheeks with damp hands to draw me from a protective curl. "You do. You love me."

"Takeshi, stop," I tried again, wavering when he cared my hair in a soft scrape. "Takeshi."

"You're not denying it," the Rain uttered slowly, touching and playing with my earing, rolling the silver knob in his fingers. "You're not denying that you love me, Daiki."

"What do you want me to say?" I breathed, a bitter tone coming as my brow pinched. "Do you want me to say 'no, I don't love you anymore'?"

My arms came and wrapped around his chest, collecting him to the porcelain edge as he tightened his claim.

"Do you want me to say that I've given up on you? That the devotion I had for you has faded? I've grown bored?"

"Stop that."

"I'm sorry."

Takeshi shivered, before sighing and shook his head.

"You're doing this to punish yourself, Daiki," he said, drawing my eyes back to him. "You're punishing yourself, and you're hurting me in the process. Didn't you say you wouldn't hurt me?"

"I'm trying to get you to free yourself, you've given yourself to me for so long,"

"You're being selfish, shujin-chan."

I thinned my lips at the title, but nodded against him, not denying what he had said.

"Yeah, I know."

"I don't want to leave you, I'm happy with you. Don't my feelings matter too?"

"Of course they matter, but-"

"Then why can't you let us be happy? Why do you have to blame yourself for everything? You self-centred idiot."

A huff of humour burst from my lips, and I felt him draw his nails through my shirt in a shiver-inducing manner.

"Just tell me the truth, okay?" he asked, pulling back slightly so we could see each other out of the blur.

I tilted my head minutely, expression one of soft acceptance as I gazed at the Rain, seeing him patient.

"I love you, Takeshi. I love you, my shujin-kun."

He smiled, slow and pure and I hated myself.

"I love you too, so much."

I muttered curses as I buried my face in his shoulder, feeling him kiss at my temple warmly.

"I'm sorry, I love you," I apologised, nuzzling into him desperately. "I love you so much. I do."

"I know, I'm happy," he sighed, cuddling with a vengeance. "I love you, you self-centred, short-sighted dummy."

"Come and bathe with me?"

I blinked and looked to the door, before nodding with a weak smile, face flushing a bit at his nervous excitement. Standing, I stripped myself of my clothes in a shaky manner, shivering when a damp hand touched my thighs as I worked off my binder with unsteady motions.

"Shh, I'm here," he urged, seeing my hesitation.

I smiled as I tossed aside the restrictor and stepped out of my boxers, sliding my hand into his and lacing our fingers affectionately as he helped me step into the bath. A hiss escaped me at the sudden warmth, and Takeshi guided me down until I was laid on my back against the wall of the bath, letting him shuffle until he could drape himself on my chest and relax against me.

"I'm sorry, I love you," I repeated, wrapping an arm around his waist as he settled between my legs, letting them frame his.

"I'm happy," he smiled, and I kissed his cheek softly.

Coiling my arms around him when he settled, I pulled him against me and pressed my nose into his hair, inhaling the scent that I had missed - and nearly given away. Breathing deep, I squeezed my beloved tightly, hearing him give puffed humour, head falling back to gaze at the ceiling, touching at the hand pressed to his heart in an effort to feel the beat.

"I love you," the Rain breathed, pushing back into my chest until he slotted under my chin and gathered my higher face in his hands. "I love you, Daiki."

"I love you, Takeshi," I promised quietly, the sound bouncing off the water surface to spin around us.

His cheeks flushed a mild hue, before he grasped a cloth and wet it, taking my hands into his. I remained quiet as he cleaned off the day's work and his own oils from my palms and fingers, scrubbing firmly, but gently, before letting me take it and do the same to his arms.

Takeshi exhaled deeply and relaxed into me as I brought the cloth to his collar, following the rough rag with my other hand, smoothing and feeling him. He smiled and dropped his head back on my shoulder, exposing his neck to the water and soap, letting me to press my lips into his cheek.

We stayed like that until the water had lost its searing nature, and the soap had fallen into a lacklustre foam that spread thinly across the surface. We dried and dressed in loose, warm clothing before curling together on that little couch in the Yamamoto's living room, his cheek laid upon the swell of my breast as he listened to the sound of my heart and the domestic movement in the kitchen.

The smile on his lips made me warm as I stroked along his side, tucking my hand under his shirt in a loving manner, thumbing his navel as he purred. Pressing a few kisses to his crown, I nuzzled into the crest of his skull, feeling him mould his lips lazily to the side of my neck. Takeshi smiled and curled into my shape more as I matched our breaths, following the beats of his heart until my own slowed to bounce off his in time.

* * *

I grunted as the morning singed my eyes from the window, making me stir and press my face into the deep breathing chest, causing Takeshi to groan at the disturbance. Nuzzling closer, I murmured a sleepy morning greeting, making the Rain huff in indignant denial, arms coming to wrap around me and keep me down in the bed.

"We have to get up," I hummed, turning my nose into his firm bicep, inhaling his sleep's scent. "Time to get up for school."

"No," he murmured, squeezing me tighter and curling. "No, I don't want to."

"Takeshi," I sighed, gently taking myself out of his arms and sitting up, leaning on my hand. "You've missed two days of school already. Your friends are worried about you."

The Rain dropped his gaze from me and clutched his blankets tighter, making me frown slightly, and bow to press a kiss to his temple.

"I'm gonna get changed and start breakfast. Try to get yourself up, yeah?"

Takeshi whined and turned his head to mould our lips together for gentle yet insistent kisses, trying to convince me to stay as he wrapped his fingers around my wrist. But I only sighed and pecked each fingertip as I carefully pried off his grasp and climbed free from the bed.

I quickly washed before shrugging on yesterday's clothes, spraying myself with a generous amount of Takeshi's deodorant to disguise any odour that may have clung to the material. A bit of a smile came to my lips when I realised I smelt like the young swordsman, before shaking off the giddy daze as Tsuyoshi strolled into view, frying pan slanted to tip grilled fish onto a plate.

"Good morning, Tsuyoshi-san," I hummed, before falling short as he latched his gaze onto me, expectant. My teeth touched my lip before I caved to his glare and hunched. "Good morning, Tsuyoshi-tou-san."

"Good morning, Daiki," he huffed finally, and I nearly missed his smile as he walked back into the kitchen. "How's Takeshi-kun doing?"

"He's doing better than yesterday, I think. He's moving around more and is more responsive. He still doesn't want to get up, though."

"Well, try to coax him out, yeah? His exams are coming soon and he can't miss out on important stuff."

I nodded slowly and cast my eyes to the clock, sighing as an hour and a half stood between us and a prompt arrival at Nami-chuu. Fixing my tie, I let myself drift back to the room, knocking twice as a warning before I let myself in, a noise of worry and affection coming from within me when I spotted Takeshi still curled in his bed.

"Oh, darling," I murmured, reaching my hand under his sheets to drag him closer to the edge as I sat down, bringing him close against me. "Oh, my darling."

"I can't today. Not today," he groaned, nuzzling into my thigh as his hand found mine. "I just...It'll take a bit. For this to calm down. So, maybe tomorrow?"

"Shh, shh, come here,"

Takeshi whimpered something small as I gathered him to my chest, his arms coming to wrap around my neck as he hid himself away against me.

"Can you just try today? Even if it's only for the attendance," I pressed gently, kissing his shoulder as he inhaled his own deodorant. "If it's too much, I'll come get you and take you home. Even if it's in the middle of class, just text me a blank message and I'll come."

The boy whined quietly, tightening his hold on my neck as his breath came out light. We stayed like that for a little while, just holding onto one another, before he sighed and slipped his arms off me, though he kept his head on my clavicle.

"Okay," he uttered, small-voiced. "Okay, I'll try, Daiki."

"Takeshi," I hummed, taking his face in my hand and angling it up, caressing his cheeks until he had to squint one eye out of reflex. "So brave, so strong. I love you, I do."

"I love you too, Daiki," Takeshi smiled, before dragging me down for another round of indulgent kissing.

"Come on," I breathed, getting to my feet after at least a solid minute or so of lightly sucking on the Rain's tongue. "Get changed and we can go and have breakfast."

"If you carry me to the table," he pouted, already pulling off his shirt with sluggish arms.

A smile spread as I pressed a kiss to his pectoral before taking his shirt from him and going to find his uniform. He dressed with some help from me, his hands running through my hair in a manner that made my eyes droop while I buttoned up his shirt and fixed his tie.

I crooned into his ear as I bent down and grasped him by the back of his thighs, coaxing him to sit on my pelvis and hips before I stood straight and lifted him from the bed. I listened to him hum into my ear as I carried him into the dining room and set him down at the table, rubbing his arms with my hands until he reluctantly let go of me, turning to his plate with a disinterested expression.

"I'm not hungry, though."

"You may not feel it, but your body wants to eat. Just try, half at least, please?"

Takeshi glanced to me, before sighing and taking up his utensils, spooning a small mound of rice into his mouth. He hummed as I brushed his hair from his face and tucked it behind his ear, crooning affection at him as he leant against me, spoon hanging from his mouth as he chewed slowly.

I smiled and kissed the crest of his skull before turning to my own breakfast, eating it slowly, as to not pressure Takeshi more than I already was, murmuring about Lambo to him now and then, making the corners of his lips turn upwards. My heart hurt when he ground to a slow halt, lost in thought as he stared blankly down at his bowl.

"Shujin-kun?" I asked, touching his hand.

He blinked, logging back onto reality at the contact, and turned to me, eyes wide. The Rain thinned his lips after a moment, before shuffling his chair closer to mine and leaning against me, taking another spoon of rice to his pallet as I wrapped my arm around his waist.

The walk to school was quiet, though I tried to fill in the void with chatter, feeling him hold on to my arm and hug it to his chest the closer we got to Nami-chuu. Waves of guilt swamped me as he tried to hide how he shied away from his peers, not at all in the mood to stitch on his smile, but had to anyway because he was there now.

"Remember," I murmured, leaning against the shoe lockers as he slowly toed his outside shoes off and swapped them for the inside ones. "Blank text if you need me, and I'll take you home, no questions asked."

"Okay," he uttered, closing his locker.

I thinned my lips at the quiet voice, before sighing and stepping forwards, uncaring about the curious eyes that turned on us, and stooped to press a kiss to the top of his head, letting him curl into my front, nosing at my throat. Small noises of affection came from within me as I rubbed his back, thumbing at his nape to try to urge out the tension from his muscles.

"I'll come to you at break and we can eat together. You don't need to bring your friends, and I won't bring Ryohei. Just you and me, okay?"

"Mhm."

Class was spent with my knee bouncing and chewing irritably on my pacer, Ryohei giving me looks of concern but remained silent under the glare of the teacher. I stood as the bell rung and pulled out my lunch box, before turning to my brother Sun and smiling a little.

"Sorry bro, I'm gonna spend lunch with Takeshi. He's...not the best right now."

"Oh, okay. Call if you need help, yeah?" he nodded, making me do the same, before striding from the room and making my way down to 2-A.

The class was rioting as usual during the break, and it didn't take me long to find where the majority of the students had coalesced, a grimace coming to my lips when I saw them crowding the Rain's desk. I sighed and pushed the door open before making my way over, breaking the mass easily and seeing the pained gleam in Takeshi's eye.

"Hey, Takeshi," I greeted, hearing the group fall silent as the 'ex-boyfriend' initiated public contact. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," he uttered, nodding, before standing and stepping close to me, remaining so as we fled the classroom in a seemly manner.

I bit my lip as I sat myself down in a patch of warm sunshine and immediately found myself with a lapful of my love, my arms coming to wrap around him as I peppered kisses along the side of his head, crown to jaw splatterings of affection as he pressed against me with a soft noise that made my heart throb.

"Takeshi," I breathed into his ear, making him turn to me before I tucked him under my jaw and squeezed firmly. "My beautiful Takeshi."

"I'm tired," the Rain murmured, wrapping his hand around my arm as he spoke, settling against me more.

"Are you not hungry?"

"Not really...Not now. Just sleep."

"Okay," I sighed, leaning back against the fence, holding him close as he relaxed. "Sleep, sleep. I'm here."

A low croon came from him as he dozed in my arms, making a smile come to my lips as I carded his locks and kissed around his hairline, loving his softly. Deep inhales brought me his scent and I nosed into it, wanting to submerge myself in his warm smell, having missed Takeshi so dearly from my self-imposed exile.

"I love you," I whispered into his scalp, kissing it twice. "I love you, my shujin-kun. Let me stay with you."

The Rain murmured and rolled in my arms until his chest was pressed to mine, legs splayed out over my own as he cuddled into me again, lips curling upwards in the corners as he settled back down.

"I love you too," he grumbled quietly, slow and sleepy, and my heart swelled almost beyond reason as I squeezed the poor boy in the tightest hug I could conjure against him. "Oof."

"Sorry, sorry."

. . .

Class rolled around, and I was reluctant to part with Takeshi again, kissing around his grumpy face as the bell shrieked through the school while he whined at the wake-up.

"No, don't leave," he groaned, burying his face into my chest in rebellion against the school.

"I have to, my darling," I sighed, drawing his face back out and latching our lips together. "I don't want to go either, but I have to. I wish I could just cuddle with you and not have to do anything but that."

Takeshi murmured something as he hugged me again, and I wrapped my arms around him too, running my hand along his spine to soothe out the tension that had welled within it.

"It's okay," I hushed, kissing his cheek. "It's okay. You can do it. It's just another couple hours, then you're free."

"Blank text," he muttered.

"Or the blank text, if you want to get out."

The Rain looked at me from under his lashes, and I tried to smile at the dark circles underneath his eyes. He leant forward and took another kiss, like he was gathering up courage, before allowing me to help him stand, gathering our lunches as we made our way down to the classrooms.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" I hummed, settling his hair as he stopped at my classroom.

"Okay. I love you."

"I love you too."

He scampered off, and I sat down just as the teacher walked in, Ryohei casting the Rain a worried look, which I gently approved of, feeling him touch my shoulder. Class dragged on, notes were taken and rapid pleads for the teacher not to change the slide were yelped. Then my phone buzzed, and I looked at it from under the table.

_From: Favourite Stalker_

I tapped my brother's hand before bolting from my desk, not caring how the teacher called after me angrily as I was already halfway down the hall. The sign for 2-A came into focus as I lept from the stairs and burst into the second year's level, feet catching the ground in an effort to stop as I came to the door and yanked it open.

Breathing heavily, I disregarded the Nezu's whining to find Takeshi, heart lurching when I saw his shoulders shaking, head down in his arms. I made my way over quickly, cutting through the desks until I came to kneel beside my Takeshi, listening closely as his breath whistle from a clogged nose.

"Takeshi," I whispered, "Let's go. Let's go now,"

The Rain peaked up from his arms and I felt my heart sear when reddened eyes landed upon me, my lips parted, but I had no time to speak before I found myself with armsful of the young Yamamoto, the boy already latching onto me to hide in my shoulder.

"Okay, it's okay," I hushed, standing up and settling him to sit on my pelvis, legs wrapped tightly around my hips to hold himself up while I cupped my hands around his thighs. "Let's go home, love."

Takeshi panted into my shoulder as I left the baffled classroom, pulling strength into my limbs to make the journey swift for my lover. He refused to lift himself from his sanctuary even when people sent us looks of judgment, either for being students out of school or because of his positioning, but I paid them no mind, pressing a kiss to his crown now and then.

"Almost home, shujin-kun," I breathed, seeing the TakeSushi store appear from around the corner.

He shifted in my arms, cuddling me more until I felt a shiver-inducing brush of lips scant across my ear, a flush blooming on my cheeks and making me squeeze him tighter.

I rapped on the door with my foot, silently apologising for the rather rude knock, before one of the kitchen hands came and slid it open, blinking in surprise when he saw who it was.

"Eh? Yamaguchi-kun? Is something wrong with Boss' kid?" he asked, getting out of the way as I stepped in.

"He's not feeling well, so I brought him home," I answered, watching his face slowly morph into understanding.

"Kay, I'll tell the Boss you're here," he grunted, before looking to the heavy breathing boy. "Get better soon, kid."

Takeshi nodded into my shoulder, and I smiled in thanks, before I quickly carried him to his room, our shoes clumsily discarded at the inner door. I tried to lay the Rain down in his bed when we had arrived, trying to free my hands so I could go about settling him down, but he had refused to release his full body hold on me, squeezing tighter when I made to unhook his legs.

"Darling," I sighed, wrapping my arms around him as we sat in the bed, swaying slowly to calm him down. "My darling husband, the one I love so dearly."

I felt him shake before a sniffle reached my ears.

"It's okay, it's okay, my love. You can cry. I'm here," I turned and smiled softly when I saw watery mocha peering up at me. "I'll protect you from all that will hurt you. So it's okay, come loose. I'll hold you."

Tears bubbled up in the corners of his eyes as he continued to gaze at me, before they spilt over and a whine slipped from his throat, making my heart crumble in on itself as I watched him cry, refusing to look away as he sobbed against my chest. I smiled down at him as he continued to observe me through his blurry vision, bringing the blankets close and wrapping us up in it, hiding us away in the warmth as he coughed from a clogged throat and whimpered, his hand bundling the back of my shirt.

I cooed sweetly down at him and wiped away the tears with my thumbs, all the while never losing eye contact just as I had promised.

We stayed like that for maybe an hour; the emotions welling up in intervals between quick kisses and tissue breaks. His nose and eyes were red from it in the end, as he breathed through his lips against my chest, the bin by his bed stuffed with soggy tissues.

"I'm sorry," I sighed finally, burying my nose in his hair. "I shouldn't have pushed you."

Takeshi was quiet for a few moments, before he turned his head and pressed his face to my chest, showing that he didn't want to speak anymore. He made a noise when I tried to move away, however, and it reassured me he wasn't upset from my behaviour.

"Come, love, let's settle down for a rest."

I kissed the shell of the Rain's ear softly as he nodded before reaching around and worked off his belt and tie, doing the same to myself and smiled with a laugh as the youth shoved his face into my exposed collar greedily.

"You're going to cuddle me a lot, aren't you?" I huffed, pulling the sheets down from their tucked in state, the smell of detergent and fabric softener wafting up, showing that Tsuyoshi had come in after we had left.

I toed off my socks before working the both of us under the sheets and hummed as Takeshi squirmed his way to my chest, ear pressed firmly to my breast to hear my heart and breath whilst I combed his hair. I felt myself relaxing with the repetitive motions and only liquified further as my darling fell into an untroubled sleep, his expression soothed if not still tear-tacky.

"I won't make you go to school tomorrow if you're not feeling up to it," I assured, brushing his hair out of his face. "...But I'm going to have to talk to your Yomi-san."

I felt him twitch, and I kissed his crown before silencing both our phones and settling down to sleep in his company again.


	3. Chapter 3: Supernatural AU! (Part 1)

**|Supernatural AU!|**

**Part 1**

* * *

**Summary: The Vongola gives Takeshi a project to carry out in USA Pennsylvania, so he takes Daiki, Lambo and Mephistopheles with him to live together, uninterrupted, for a year. All is well for a blissful five months, and just as the family is getting ready to celebrate Lambo's twelfth birthday - young men begin turning up dead. Normally, this would be fine, but when Hunters begin rolling into town to investigate, Mafia, Yakuza and Flames aren't the only things the Sun and Rain are going to have to hide. Daiki best be prepared to tuck away her wings for a while.**

* * *

**Word Count: 3,194**

* * *

"Hey, hey," came the soft whisper, fondness lacing the tone. "Time to get up, beloved."

Takeshi groaned and burrowed more into his sheets, grabbing for the warmth that evaded him along with a disturbing movement. Daiki laughed quietly at her husband's behaviour, gently petting his hair as he made sluggish movements towards her.

"You have to get up, my darling," she urged, "Bo-kun has to get to school."

"Nngh!" he whined, rolling onto his back and tried to drag Daiki back down onto the bed. "No."

Daiki snorted, before scooping Takeshi up out of their sheets and into a bridal hold, exposing his poor naked self to the cold of the spring morning. He gave a shout and shivered, smacking his wife's shoulder as he glared with new awakeness, huffing when she bent her neck to plant a kiss on his lips.

"Good morning, darling."

"There is nothing 'good' about morning," he scoffed, hiding in her shoulder, the colours of her irezumi blooming out from under her shirt.

"Mm, I'd beg to differ. Waking up to you every morning makes them wonderful each time."

Takeshi rolled his eyes, but couldn't deny the smile, laughing when their brows came to be pressed together.

"Though, I do wish you would stop hogging the blankets. Greedy lil' raindrop," the Sun grinned, huffing a laugh when the smaller bat at her in offence.

"Oh, shove off, I do not," he denied, crossing his arms. "Put me down and I'll get some pants on."

"Eh? But what if I wanna keep you like this, shujin-kun?"

"I'd rather not scar our son, _shujin-chan," Takeshi _huffed, raising an eyebrow as his wife sighed forlornly and lowered him back to the floor, where his feet stung from the floorboards.

"Very well, my love, you make a good argument," she accepted, coming to stand behind the Rain as he tugged on a pair of discarded pyjama pants.

Daiki hummed to herself as her other tied the string at the front, her hand coming up to touch at the red lines that streaked down a strong back, raw and crumbs of dried blood flaking off. She thinned her lips when Takeshi winced, a sheepish laugh escaping him as he glanced over his shoulder.

"It's fine, Daiki, you just got carried away," he assured gently.

"I hurt you," she breathed, looking down in guilt. "I should have been more careful."

"You're still getting your head around how much strength to use," the Rain smiled, stepping forwards to wrap his arms around her waist. "Humans are fragile, but we're sturdy too, my love. Something like this won't do more than irritate."

A hand came off her waist and cupped her cheek in affection, guiding the Sun's face down until they were close, where he could see the gold creeping in from the corners of her sclera, remnants of her nocturnal nature.

"And I'll remember how I got them whenever my shirt rubs over them. May be a bit of a problem, I have a meeting today."

A red hue came to the woman's face as she smiled sheepishly, cooing a high clicking noise that normal throats could not achieve as warm lips were pressed to hers.

"Let's go have breakfast then," Daiki sighed, spreading warmth through her husband's body, the faint itching of skin sewing together coming after.

"Yay, food."

**. . .**

"Mama," Lambo demanded, coming to stand beside his mother, making her pause her medication.

"Morning, Bo-kun," Daiki greeted, popping the contraceptive pill swiftly, before bending to receive her son, setting the eleven year old lad on her hip. "How did you sleep?"

"I don't wanna go to school today, I'm sick!" he exclaimed, making a show of coughing. "See? Sick!"

"Mm," the Sun smiled, already knowing her son's tricks. "I think it's just a morning cold. You'll be fine by the time you've eaten."

"But I don't wannaaaaa!"

"Shush," Takeshi reprimanded, coming up from behind them. "It's too early to make that loud of a noise."

Lambo pouted before trudging over to his seat, begrudgingly chewing at his breakfast as his mother came to press a kiss to the crest of his skull. Daiki smiled at his attitude, before wrinkling her nose at the smell of black coffee as Takeshi sipped at his drink, handing his spouse a cup of hot chocolate as a peace offering.

Mephistopheles bolted from under the table as chairs were pulled out, making Takeshi laugh and watch as the aging mutt bounded up to them expectantly, glancing between their plates. The family snorted, before Lambo tossed the mutt a chunk of sausage, making his mother tsk and flick his ear in reprimand.

"What's your meeting about?" she asked, everyone coming to sit at the table.

"Just a bunch of normal business, Tsuna can't make a meeting, so I have to go in his place. There aren't many trustworthy Vongola officers in America," Takeshi answered easily, taking the rolled up paper from his wife and spreading it for a read.

"Well, you won't be alone for long, the others are coming around to crowd the place for Bo-kun's birthda- Oh, honey!" she sputtered as the Lightning knocked his cup, their mutt immediately sitting beneath it with open jaws.

"Uh-oh."

"Hm?" Daiki uttered, looking up from her caring of Lambo's spilt cup. "What's wrong?"

"Someone's been found dead again, closer this time," he explained, showing his love the headline. "They're blaming coyotes. Though, they're a bit too inner suburbia for those, I think."

"Yeah," she agreed, brow furrowing as she read the details. "That's pretty odd."

When she looked up, she frowned more, finding Takeshi looking quite pointedly at her, making the Sun pull back in caution.

"You don't think this is my doing, do you?" she huffed, making the man jump and reach for her hand.

"No! Nothing like that," he assured, kissing her knuckles. "I'm worried about people _blaming_ you though. These could bring...what are they called again?"

Lambo glance between his parents, Chinese sausage pinched between his lips, Mephisto nudging his foot.

"Hunters," Daiki breathed, slipping her hand from her other's lips to cup his cheek. "Hunters; they're are not going to come just because of a couple murders, my love, and even if they do, I doubt they'd zero in on me of all people. They'd sooner find our connections to the Mafia, than my creature-hood."

"Yeah, it's just...I'm always going to worry about you, shujin-chan," he sighed, shuffling his chair closer until he could lean against her larger form.

"And I thank you for caring so much," she hummed, kissing the top of his head.

"So...Mama's going to be okay?" Lambo asked, making the two blink.

Daiki smile and nodded, reassuring her son softly.

"Yeah, Mama's gonna be fine."

* * *

"Five bodies, all men, all found dead within the borders of the same town, all found with the same injuries and cause of death," Sam summarised, looking down at the compiled articles. "Police are saying coyotes."

"In a suburb?" Dean asked, snorting in disbelief.

"Yeah, everyone's sceptical, but that's the best they've got," the younger, yet taller, shrugged, flipping to another article. "Each body is mutilated, bludgeoned and chewed up. Broken bones, blood loss, the norm."

"Sounds about right. Do we have an idea for what we're hunting?"

"Nothing clear, could be a skinwalker, maybe a wendigo," Sam offered, shrugging.

"Well, we're looking for a meat eater," Dean uttered, bringing his beloved to a smooth stop at a red light. "Something that needs to eat - and eat a lot. What was it, five in two weeks?"

"A week and a bit, so basically."

The elder Winchester scoffed a sigh and pressed down on the accelerator, gliding forth into their newest town.

"Guys gotta have a big gut then. Easy target."

* * *

"Come on Bo-kun, time for school," Daiki called, hearing the little Lightning stuffing his bag with last minute knick knacks. "No grenades!"

"_Aw, c'mon!"_

"We don't need a repeat from Cincinnati!" Takeshi joined, rinsing his cup in the sink before coming over to kiss his wife on the cheek. "I wish I didn't have to leave you at home."

"What? You'd wanna take me to work with you?" the Sun laughed, curling her arms around his waist before leaning back on the counter. "Yakuza paperwork can be handled from home, so that means I get to stay here."

The Rain huffed and leant against her, humming when she rubbed his back through the material of his suit.

"Besides, I'll be waiting here when you get home. Won't that be fun?" Daiki crooned, smiling against his ear, feeling him shudder happily. "Go on, Bo-kun's gotta go too."

"Fine!" he whined, taking another kiss from the taller woman, before calling after their son. "I'm leaving!"

"Coming! Coming!" the young Mafia yelped, stumbling out of his room, one sock black and the other white.

"Have a good day, my darling," Daiki hummed, bending to kiss his forehead, following the two to the door and leaning against the frame as they stuffed their feet into their shoes.

Mephisto bounded over and sat at the feet of the Sun, looking between them all as Daiki bent to scritch at his nape, making him pant in glee.

"You both have everything? Lunches, papers?"

"Yes, Mama," Lambo nodded, leg raised so that his father could tie his shoelaces for him.

"What about you, shujin-kun?"

"Yes, Mama," Takeshi laughed, getting up out of his squat and pecking his wife on the lips, feeling her huff against them from his jab.

"Good boy," she cooed, "Very good boy."

The Rain grinned and flushed, before he was pushed out the door by his whining son, making the two spouses laugh as they waved.

"Have a good day, boys!" the Sun called, moving her foot to block Mephisto as he attempted to follow the Lightning son.

"We will!" Lambo shouted, jumping up into the family's white SUV.

Daiki waved as they pulled out of the driveway and drove off to the nearby Elementary school, closing the door behind her once they were out of sight. The mother stretched before groaning, already sensing the impending hand cramps from all the paperwork and red tape that was sitting on her desk in the study.

"Ugh, why can't those men keep their collateral damage to a minimum?" she sighed, snapping her knuckles above her head while elongating her long spine, feeling a restless shifting beneath her skin. "They're gonna get a lashing when this project is over."

They were in America's states for a period of a year for some sort of Vongola project, Takeshi being the chosen representative and thus deciding to take Daiki and Lambo with him for the time. It allowed the family of three to bond in close quarters, and the fact of the woman's Oyabun status allows for flexible working spaces. No one was going to question or object to her leaving for a year, not if she continued to complete her duties, Honda and Jun working as her proxies during the absence.

Lambo's schooling had been an issue at first, with a year being a period that was both long and short. The idea of home schooling had been tossed around, even perhaps leaving him in Japan, but a small local school had been the result, allowing the little Italian boy a chance to taste the American school life. He had taken to it well, quite enjoying the role as the 'enigmatic, mysterious new kid' that had been thrust upon him, one eye hidden at all times, and all.

Daiki rolled her eyes at the memory of the girls whispering and giggling when Takeshi had gone to pick their son up, the mother sitting in the car behind the wheel with the engine running. They had gotten a good laugh out of it afterwards.

She sighed and flopped down in her chair, Mephisto curling up beside her feet, the soft leather cushioning her back as she gazed with reluctance at the folders sitting on the table, and 32 unread emails sitting in her inbox, each no doubt 1000 words or more, with at least several PDF attachments. With a foreboding groan, she sat up and fumbled for her glasses, opening the first email with a resigned grumble.

* * *

"Accept it, we're lost, Dean," Sam whined, slumped in his seat.

"We can't be lost, it's a pin prick of a town," the elder defended, turning down the music to help him focus better on the road signs.

"Apparently we are, because we've been here before."

"Shut it, Sammy. If you wanna be a smartass, start helping. We're looking for an inn or something."

Sam sighed and ducked his head to see out the windows, the street barren of people but full of near uniform houses. Its wasn't surprising to see such an absence, it wasn't dead quiet, but the kind that came with a midday lull of people in offices or schools, locked away for another few hours until the streets were flooded again. Then the boom of a bin made him turn, and he urged his brother to slow.

"Hey, we can ask them."

"Okay," Dean grunted, pulling to the side of the road just as their target dragged their bins off the curb. "Excuse me!"

The two men blinked, not quite able to identify a female or male sex from the person who turned, a smile coming as they clapped their hands of dirt and dust.

"Hello, is there something I can help you with?" they asked, no discernable gender in their voice either.

"Ah, we were wondering if you knew about a cheap motel or inn nearby? We're just planning to stay the night or so, so nothing too upmarket," Sam explained, noticing Dean was more than a bit distracted.

"A cheap place, hey...Ah, Rodeway Inn's just a while further. Corner of George and West Gas," they answered after a while, tossing a hand in the general direction. "That should do you two."

"Ah, thanks," Dean nodded, smiling a bit too much. "So, ah, see you around?"

Sam looked at his brother in humoured disbelief, wondering if he was tongue tied or if he was just that bad.

"Hope so," they answered, glancing to the younger for confirmation, as if they also didn't believe the insinuations of the elder Winchester son. "Have a good stay, boys."

"Thank you- um..."

"Daiki. Daiki Yamaguchi."

"Cameron and Henry Stottle, thanks again."

"No problem."

With another smile, the person turned and walked back into their house, a dog barking up at them from inside. Their stride was strong, and Sam was sure he wasn't the only one who noticed. He snorted and elbowed his brother in the side, making him jump and accidentally jab the horn.

"Damn it, Sammy!"

* * *

Daiki grit her teeth as she pressed back into the door, Mephisto growling at the outside, her heart slowly coming down from the sights of the two hunters.

"Fuck," she hissed. "Fuck, fuck, _fuck._"

The Sun moved from the entry and into the study, snapping up her phone and dropping into the chair with a restless shuffle. Mephistopheles followed close behind the woman, a low growl rumbling in his chest even as he lept up into her lap, chin on her shoulder. Daiki dialled in her husband's number, knowing better than to keep this sort of thing from him.

"_Hello my lo-"_

"Takeshi, there are hunters," she interrupted, sitting up as she heard him do on the other end. "I just saw two."

"_I'm coming now, are you okay? Did they find you?" _he asked, worry and tension obvious in his voice.

"No, I'm fine, they're not here for me," Daiki breathed, steadying her tone. "Did you finish your meeting?"

"_Yeah, an hour ago. I'll be there soon, hang tight."_

"I will, I love you."

"_I love you too," _he swore, before hanging up, leaving the Sun to slump back into her chair and sigh with stress.

Sometimes, she hated being a Camazotz.

Mephisto whined and made her pause, before she smiled and began to gently pet his back, scratching his nape and behind his ear as he panted between rumbles of hostility and protectiveness, his old age in no way dampening his viciousness against enemies. She hummed and pressed her nose against the side of his neck, blowing warm air into the mutt's fur until he began to settle, lapping at her cheek once to comfort her.

Daiki smiled and kissed her friend's nose, before leaning back and urging him to lay across her stomach and lap, chin on her abdomen.

The _Winchesters?!_ God damn, she had thought she had gone loopy when she had heard that name, the warnings the others had given her about going to the US, which was practically a hunter's 'paradise'. It was bad enough that she had one storyline, let alone a different, converging one that was grittier and more 'end of the world'.

"Ugh, the _Winchesters_? Couldn't I have had like the Ghostfacers, or something?" she groaned, already hating her chances.

**. . .**

Daiki grunted when Takeshi grabbed her up in a constricting hug, crushing her larger form to him as he smothered his face into her shoulder, breathing deep as the door clicked shut behind him.

"I'm fine, love. They didn't notice."

"Are you sure?" he pressed, pulling back to gaze up at her with worry, arms tight around her waist. "There's only two, I can get rid of them-"

"No, you can't, my darling," she hushed, combing his hair with her fingers, drawing them from the door and deeper into their home. "You can't do anything to these two, they're strong, and important."

"You know them?" Takeshi breathed, sitting down on the couch beside his wife, leaning against her to feel her living warmth and the motion of her breath.

"They're the Winchester brothers, so yes, I know them," Daiki nodded, taking her husband's hand in her own. "They're very good at what they do, so we're going to have to be careful, but other than that, we'll be fine. They're sympathetic, hunting tendencies aside."

"Daiki," Takeshi uttered helplessly, before coming forwards and pushing her down to lay, curling himself into her side and dropping his head on her shoulder. "Be safe. Please be safe."

"I am, darling, I am," she hushed, wrapping her arms around him, feeling how every muscle was taut and ready for action. Ready to defend. "We just need to keep behaving normally, and they won't be able to spot us in the crowd."

Takeshi cuddled in closer, like he could hide his beloved from the hunter's sight with his own body.

"Okay. I don't have any more office work for the rest of the week. We'll be home together."

The Sun smiled and kissed the top of his head.

"I guess we'll be spending a lot of time in bed then, hey?"

The Rain tried to crack a smile, but it was weak, and thinned out with a quietly bubbling rage, his Flame stirring with the threat.

"Lots of time in bed," he assured, a low growl coming to his tone.

* * *

**Camazotz: In ancient Maya beliefs, Camazotz (Camoazotz) was a vampire bat god. Camazotz means "death bat" in the Quiché Maya language. Associated with night, death, and sacrifice, Camazotz was often depicted holding his victim and a knife. (Source: AncientPages)**


	4. Chapter 4: Porn (SFW)

"_**I would love to see an AU where Tsuna tried to get with Daiki, I'm rereading Baker's Daughter and his little puppy crush is too cute!**_"

**You, ****Guest****, have been noticed! I am working on the Tsuna/Daiki Route at the moment (my essay looms in distaste)! It shall be revealed soon!  
. . .**

**To those who are inspired to send me prompts: ****  
I would love it if you could specify if you wanted Male!Daiki Fem!Daiki or Non-Binary!Daiki in your scene! This is both easier for me to decide what they are when I write them, as well as where/when they are for the scene! Please and thank you!**

**. . .**

**Another Announcement****:**

**I WILL BE WRITING SMUT/LEMON SCENES!  
Yes, they may be cringy cause I'm a lonely chap, but I'm learning!  
...The things I have read in order to understand some things T^T  
So if you have any ideas for them (there will be a warning beginning of chap) PM me or review it! :)**

* * *

**|Porn|**

**(It's safe, I swear)**

Some Context: Just some stuff I wrote years ago for shits and giggles that never saw the light of day. And now it has, enjoy.

Time Frame: Daily Life Arc

Characters: Daiki, Takeshi, Tsuyoshi

* * *

**Word Count: 1,010**

* * *

"So, Takeshi-kun," Tsuyoshi started, pausing his morning tea brew, a solemn expression marring his face as he read through pointless articles of news.

The tone made me pause chewing on my breakfast, a tension coming to my back as the healthy fear I had cultivated for the father settled in my body, fully prepared to sprint or cower.

"Yup?" Takeshi chirped, seemingly oblivious to the atmosphere.

The old swordsman took another sip of steaming tea, letting the silence hang, before he looked up from the paper and gazed at his son.

"I found your porn."

I choked on my noodles as the words were dropped flatly.

My husband's face bloomed a mighty red as he spluttered, trying to defend himself over the sound of my wheezed laughter, my body relaxing into humour as the father's ire was angled away from me.

"You went through my room?!"

"Well, _someone_ has to pick up your laundry," Tsuyoshi shrugged, sipping away.

"But still! It's hidden for a reason!"

"If you didn't chuck your socks under your bed I never would have found it."

My attempts at smothering my laughter seemed to irk the Rain, for he began to bat at my arm that covered my snorts as my shoulders shook.

"Daiki-kun!" he scolded, pushing me as he huffed.

I made attempts to console my younger love, but only managed to wheeze out unrealistic apologies as I leant back in my chair and giggled hysterically.

"Really, Takeshi-kun," the father hummed, placing down his mug. "The amount of you had, _phew_, I was wondering what you were using your allowance on."

"Tou-san!" he screamed, covering his face as I boomed laughter to the ceiling. "Why did you have to talk about this with Daiki-kun here!?"

"Well, I thought that I might mention that a lot of the characters had a resemblance to him," Tsuyoshi shrugged. "And the..._edits_ you've made to some."

"_Tou-san!"_

"Really?" I perked, leaning forwards putting my chin in my hand. "Tell me more."

"Shujin-kun!"

"What edits did he make?"

"Well, he changed the names for one," Tsuyoshi hummed, obviously thinking back to the stock he had found.

"Stooooop!" Takeshi cried, smothering his face into his hands, ears ablaze.

I smiled softly at the boy and decided to take mercy on my darling, dragging his chair closer before wrapping my arm around him and cuddling the traumatised boy, kissing the top of his head. He whined and latched onto me, hiding his face in my shoulder as he all but crawled onto my chair and lap.

My arms were in position to fully wrap around him before a shiver of dread scrambled up my spine. Eyes glared at me from over the brim of a steaming cup, the Yamamoto father watching me with critical, cruel eyes, just _daring _me to touch his son any more.

A hesitant laugh fell from my lips as I let my hands hover in the air awkwardly while Takeshi straddled my lap in front of the man, whining and nuzzling my collar.

"Daiki-kun," he called, peering up at me, disregarding my fear. "I love you, and well, uh, I guess I get kinda impatient and, well, self-indulgent."

"No. No, it's fine, I get it," I uttered, glancing between the father and son. "I get it."

"And you love me too?" he asked, pressing against my chest a bit in enthusiasm.

Tsuyoshi watched me over his tea.

"Of course."

Takeshi gained a pink hue before grinning, making me relax despite myself and lean against him just the tiniest bit.

"Kiss?"

Fuck.

Tsuyoshi coughed into his drink and placed it down, watching me pointedly, looking between his offspring and I with an obvious expression on his face.

"U-uh."

The Rain's face dropped, and his eyes lost their shine for a moment, making my heart lurch, an arm coming down to wrap around his waist and hold him against me. There was another cough, and I shrunk a little but didn't lose my grasp on my rainy love.

"Kiss, please?" he repeated, cupping my face as he gained a hopeful expression.

I looked back to the old swordsman and withheld a shriek as I saw him casually sharpening his knife set, each blade laid out in a systematic order across the table, wet stone '_shinking' _with every slide. A barely audible whimper of terror escaped me as the Yamamoto son began kissing at my jugular, jaw and cheek.

He reached out and grabbed my hands, drawing them down to settle high on his thighs, a happy and requesting sigh leaking from him as he settled further into my lap.

_Shink._

I was going to die.

_Shink._

Internal weeping.

Catching Takeshi's eye, I huffed when I saw them twinkling with dark mirth and sadistic humour, the boy having known what he was doing all along. Of course he did, he was his father's son. My lip twitched, and I surged forwards to seal our lips together, rolling my tongue into his mouth and dragging a noise from him, the younger happily indulging himself - before withdrawing and spinning him off my lap.

I jumped to my feet and pressed another kiss to my beloved before waving at the armed father, a laugh of excitement and nervousness escaping me as I grabbed my jacket from the back of my chair.

"Bye, Tsuyoshi-tou-san! See you on Monday, Takeshi-kun!"

"_Yamaguchi Daiki!"_

Stabbing my feet into my shoes, I leapt out the door and ran in a death sprint, laughter on my tongue, before another call made me turn.

Takeshi waved at me from the door with a cheery expression, taking up the doorway with his tall frame and blocking his father from chasing me out, the man flailing and shouting from behind his son. I snorted and waved back, before giving a yelp and ducking as a knife was sent flying at me, sticking into the wood of the power pole behind me with intense force.

"Bye-bye, Daiki-kun! I love you!"

"Love you too, shujin-kun!" I shouted back, before spinning on my heel and sprinting.


	5. Chapter 5: Dreamer

**|Dreamer AU!|**

* * *

Arasi yawned as he sat on the edge of his bed in the Rain Dorms, still a bit startled by how he sank under his own weight in the European style of bed. The room was cold with snow beating against the windows, but Asari was just too tired to bother refilling the furnace, hoping he'd fall into the numb abyss of sleep before the last flames died out.

His feet hurt from having to stand around all day and talk to people who raised a brow at the slant of his eyes or the lilt of his accent and felt like he could, maybe, handle being called '_exotic' _three more times before he shoved his flute down someone's throat. The young man paused when he recognised his thinning patience and let out a long sigh, rubbing his nape. He got to his feet again with a groan and began dressing down for the night, intent on getting a good, long sleep before the grind began again tomorrow.

Asari wrapped himself in an extra layer for warmth, just in case, before he paused by his side table and let his fingers play at the finger holes of his flute. The instrument sat on a stand by his bedside, and though he had been parted with it for a few, long years, his new friends had tracked down the dealer he had traded it to and had returned it to him. He played it every chance he got now, and the notes sounded even sweeter with the efforts and emotions of his 'Family' interwoven with every breath.

He hummed and picked it up before setting himself back on his bed, getting comfortable. He brought it up and played aimlessly for a while, watching the fire burn low and feeling his body unwind.

Another yawn slipped out and interrupted Asari mid-song, he grumbled and laid down before pulling the blankets up onto his shoulder. He curled up under the blankets and shifted around until he was comfortable, his flute still clutched securely in his hand as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Asari was warm. So warm and being held so gently. The crackle of a fire, the turn of a page, the long, unrushed swell of breath within a chest. It was all so soft and comforting, calming and tender. But he couldn't move.

Asari wanted to roll over and move his arm, feeling the limb begin to go numb from the awkward positioning. There was just a part of him that kept saying, "_no, I want to stay like this, stay with her"_.

Then he felt a hand run along his back, a large palm tracing his spine in an up and down motion that made his body liquify and a happy trill trickle from his lips. Asari had never made that sound before, hell, he didn't know he _could_.

His body stirred then, without his doing, and he tilted his head to nuzzle into the warm side of whoever was holding him. The hand that was on his back lifted off as Asari moved around, getting comfortable again, before returning to massage his nape as he settled down.

He wanted to panic, he really did, but it was almost as if his own consciousness was secondary to the overwhelming..._bliss_ that was present. It clouded every one of his thoughts until he was malleable and contented to listen to the crisp, raspy turn of pages and steady breaths. It made him enjoy the way his arm, which had been draped across the other person, rose and fell with their breath and felt the gentle 'thump' of their heartbeat.

Asari wanted to stay like this. Forever, if he could. Away from the prying eyes and the evaluating glares, away from the paperwork which took him twice as long as his friends. Stay in this place, where he was cuddled up against another's side and allowed to rest for as long and as deeply as he wanted, feeling so very at ease.

His body yawned so intensely it turned into a squeak toward the end and he heard deep laughter from above his head, the confusion and alert that should have come already washed away by the affection with swamped him at the sound. He mumbled incoherently and lifted his head, eyes opening to finally allow Asari to see.

He was in the Rain dorms. He could tell by little stained glass detail in the far window's corners and the one-of-a-kind paintings which hung on the walls. The paintings looked more worn and aged, however, and the items around the room that the Rain himself had collected through the years were gone. His knick-knacks and keepsakes were replaced with unfamiliar objects and framed pictures.

Asari wanted to investigate further, but his body moved again of its own accord and he found himself tilting his head back. Asari wasn't ready for the influx of absolute _love _that washed over him when he saw the person who he was laying against, his chest squeezed as a welling of emotion pressed against the inside of his heart. It only intensified with warm coloured, "_amber-earth"_, eyes crinkled in the corners as the person, "_my love_", smiled down at him softly.

"Hey, honey," they cooed and Asari felt his heart swell as he heard the words '_my darling'_ echo as if telling him just who this person should be to him. "Did I wake you up?"

It took him a moment before Asari wanted to widen his eyes in surprise as it registered that this person, "_my love_", was speaking Japanese. And though it sounded odd to him, like they were talking the way of another province, it was more comforting than the notes of Italian.

"Sorry," they hummed, squeezing him with their arm before putting aside the heavy book in their hand, placing it down on their side table. "Come on. Let's sleep, hm?"

The person with warm eyes made the small light by their bed turn off with a snap before they rolled over to face him, sliding down from the headboard until they were level and Asari purred happily as they gathered him up in their arms and pulled him against their chest. It was then he felt the outline of the person's, "_my love's"_, body and he flushed at the realisation he was laying in the arms of a woman.

Though it was dark, Asari could still see how she stared at him with affection, her hand coming up and cupping his cheek, which his body was all too happy to lean into.

Asari's lips twitched in the corners for a moment, his body still very much under the veil of sleep, before he squirmed forward and pressed a kiss onto "_my wife"_. It was slow and soft, and she was all too happy to reciprocate it as she tilted her head to let a better angle. Asari felt his skin tingle pleasantly and a gentle heat came to his cheeks ask the woman dropped light pecks onto the apples of his cheeks, heart lighter than air and swelling as his body cuddled closer.

"Go back to sleep, honey," she hushed, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tight. "Go back to sleep. You've got a lot to do tomorrow, you don't want to be tired."

Asari whined against her chest, and he heard himself say, "But I don't want to!"

It was startling, to say the least, to actually hear himself say that. He was so used to smiling and going along with the chaos, that hearing his own voice say 'I don't want to' was...

"I know, sweetheart," "_my wife"_ cooed, cradling the back of his head against her chest. "I know it's tedious and the people are _so annoying,_" Asari felt the urge to laugh at the same time his body did and he found himself agreeing to giggle against her throat. "But you gotta. And I'll be right next to you if you need help."

Asari pouted before finally looking up and was rewarded with a quick kiss on the lips, too fast for him to respond to but enough to daze him.

"_My love"_ smiled down at him before tucking his cheek back against her chest and holding tight, humming slowly into his ear as she unwound around him, the tension in her muscles seeping out.

"I love you," she murmured into his crown. "I love you, so much."

Asari squeezed his eyes shut tight and held onto the woman even when it was obvious she had long drifted off, sleeping soundly in his arms. He yawned and felt himself kiss at her collarbone once, twice, before he nuzzled into place and fell into sleep, warm and contented.

* * *

When Asari woke up, he found his face tucked into his pillows and his blankets bundled around him, feeling the most rested he had in years. He stared at the fuzzy outline of his pillow quietly, slowly dragging himself out of the realm of sleep.

Then the memory returned, and he sat up quickly, glancing around the Rain dorm, trying to find those strange pictures or the woman's book on his nightstand. Instead, all he found was his flute, sitting awkwardly in the stand. He felt his lips twitch a bit, either up or down, he wasn't sure, and he fixed it up before slumping back into his bed.

It was so vivid and _real_, being in that woman's arms, laying against her side. He was hesitant to even call it a dream. The way her warmth seeped deep into his skin, the press of her lips against his and the unconditional love she looked at him with...Asari didn't think he could just dream that up. But here he sat, in an empty bed, thinking of a ghost.

The swordsman pursed his lips for a moment before looking to the clock, seeing that he'd have to get up and begin working soon. There would be a new stack of filing sitting on his desk by now, no doubt. Little Italian written in their fancy cursive styles that only made it harder to read.

"...I don't want to," he uttered to himself and remembered the feeling of the woman's fingers in his hair and against his cheek.

'_But you gotta. And I'll be right next to you if you need help.'_

Asari blinked as the words resurfaced and the desire to pout came after, just to see if he'd still get a kiss like before. He gave a small laugh and shook his head at himself, for losing his thoughts to a fantasy, before he climbed out of his bed.

The Rain paused in front of a mirror and stepped closer to it, critiquing his face and attractiveness, wondering if he could ever really find someone like that. He tilted his head and placed his hand on his cheek where her's once was, before he smiled and whispered, "Right next to me..."

He perked up at the words and spun on his heel, feeling better.

**. . .**

The Vongola Guardian were gathered around the breakfast table in their companionable silence, none of them really in the mood to talk beyond a gentle chatter between Giotto and G.

Asari ate his breakfast slowly, his thoughts plagued by the memory of that woman and how she had held him. He had rationalised that those emotions he had felt had affected his opinion of her, the flushes of love and affection always quick to override his suspicion and alarm. Be that as it may, she was still there, sitting at the forefront of his mind with her kisses and smiles.

"I dreamt I was with a woman last night," he declared suddenly, and everyone choked on their breakfast.

"_Asari!" _G coughed, clearing his throat after nearly swallowing his spoon. "What in God's name, man!?"

"Don't say His name in vain!" Knuckles called down from the other end of the table, near Daemon who had his face in his hands.

"Asari, why are you talking about this at the table?" Giotto asked, looking like he was walking the border between amused and disturbed.

Asari blinked owlishly and said, "Some cultures believe that dreams hold meanings, I thought you could tell me what this meant."

"It means you've gotta get laid!" G scoffed, "You're so infatuated by your flute you don't even realise human women are an option!"

Lampo rose from the table and walked out of the room, his hands over his ears and face carefully blank.

"But we weren't consummating anything, and we were fully dressed," Asari frowned, and Knuckles wheezed off to the side. "She just held me and talked to me."

Lampo ducked his head back in and said, "Ew", before disappearing one last time to retreat to his dorms.

"Maybe," Giotto began, stopping G from mocking him any further. "Maybe it's a sign that you should start looking for someone?"

"A prophetic dream!" Knuckles offered, "Tell me, Asari, what did this woman look like? Perhaps she is who God has destined you to spend your life with!"

Alaude finally looked up from his drink and pinched the bridge of his nose, asking whatever deity he thought worthy for patience.

"She was..." Asari began, remembering the woman her in the lamp's light. "She was of a darker shade, with these beautiful eyes that were, oh, the only way I can say it is 'amber-earth', like those two elements were liquified and mixed together on a dish."

The image of such eyes made the men smile a bit, like they had envisioned it - or at least, they saw the way it affected Asari.

"Her hair was cropped short into a masculine style and was cobalt," he continued, all too happy to get this visage off his chest. "Her voice was smooth and deep and gentle to the ears. She was trying to get me to go back to sleep, so she never raised her voice beyond a soft murmur."

"She was tall and bulky in the shoulders, with visible muscles in her arms-" that made the others glance to one another, but the swordsman was too deep in thought to bother. "And there was a scar in her right brow like she had been struck in the head. Her hands were rough and her knuckles had callouses, but she handled me with such care that it only became a comforting texture."

"Wait, how were you laying? Like, positioning," Daemon squinted, and G sent him a look for actually getting invested in this.

"She was reading a book at first and I was tucked into her side with her arms around me. Then while she talked to me, my head was on her chest so I could hear her heartbeat," Asari explained, remembering how he nuzzled into her chest. "When she started falling asleep, she tucked me into her chest and we laid on our sides, facing one another."

There was a moment of silence at the table and Asari looked up, suddenly very self-conscious, and he let out an awkward laugh.

"Sorry, is this sounding odd?"

"A bit," Daemon admitted.

"Do you know her name?" Knuckles continued anyway, "If your image of her is so clear, perhaps you've seen her before."

"Such a woman mustn't be very hard to find in the crowd," Giotto agreed. "She would surely stick out."

"She did feel real," Asari nodded, touching his cheek for a moment. "Very real...But I don't know her name.'

"You said you talked, though. What did you refer to her as?" Daemon huffed, putting his chin in his hand.

The Rain paused and flushed at the memory; the action spiking his friend's interest and investment in this story.

"I kept calling her 'person' at first because I didn't quite understand what was going on, but something kept correcting me. I kept thinking things like 'my love', 'my darling' and 'my wife'," he admitted, rubbing his nape as his flush burnt redder. "And she called me things like 'sweetheart' and 'honey'."

"Oh, God," G groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Don't say His name in vain, G!" Knuckles whined, having tried to impress that lesson on them for weeks.

"Maybe you'll find her one day, friend," Giotto smiled, putting his hand on his Rain's shoulder. "And when you do, introduce her to us. We'd love to meet your dream girl."

Asari smiled and went back to his breakfast, wondering what it'd be like to have the woman beside him every morning when he woke up. To have that warmth with him always, to always feel that love.

As usual, such thoughts were eventually drowned out by work later on in the day. But the perk in his step never quite faded, even when Asari took a page to G to have a word translated for him.

**. . .**

It was around the third hour of the mourning that Asari finally managed to crawl away from his desk and get ready for bed. He had managed to get through his work, and it had left him with a cramp in his hand and an ache behind his eyes.

The Rain slumped into bed the first chance he got, planting his face into his pillows and dragging his blankets high up onto his shoulders. He hummed and twiddled his feet in that space between mattress and blankets, enjoying the sensation before he fell into sleep.

* * *

"Oh, love," Asari shifted as fingers combed through his hair and carded against places that made sparks of bliss tingle the back of his scalp. "You were working the whole time again, weren't you?"

"There was a lot to do," he heard himself murmur, and he opened his eyes to see the woman, "_my darling_", leaning over him again.

She hummed and continued to touch at him, keeping him drowsy and pliant under her attention. Her low voice played on his ears and drowned out the curiosity and caution that Asari thought he should have felt.

"You've got to remember to look after yourself too," the woman, "_my love"_, scolded softly, gazing down at him with warm eyes and the slightest furrow of worry in her brow. He continued to watch her through lazy eyes when she bowed and kissed his temple. "I don't want you to get sick."

"Hm," Asari sighed, closing his eyes as the woman moved around and pulled him to her chest, wrapping her arms around him and held him tight. "But if I get sick, then you've got to tend to my every need~!"

Asari nearly wheezed at his own tone of voice but the laughter that bubbled from "_my wife" _soothed out the action and left him nuzzling against her breast.

"And I'll finally get to spend more time with you," she agreed, propping herself up on her elbow and rested her cheek on her fist. "You've been working so much, you've been barely spending any time with me!"

Asari murmured and relished the weight of the woman's arm draped across his waist, the ache in his head soothed by the warm scent of the bed. He smiled softly as she began to pet at the small of his back, treating the tense place with her fingers until the ache of being sat at his desk for hours began to melt away nicely.

"You're all knotted up, huh?" the woman, "_my darling",_ hummed, running her hand all the way up his spine and feeling at his neck and shoulders. "Want me to help, my love?"

The Rain felt his heart jump at the endearment before he found his head nodding as he uttered, "Yes, please."

The woman smiled and urged him to roll onto his front as they shuffled about and organised themselves, a weight settling on the back of his thighs where she rested her weight. Asari released a low noise as she yanked up the back of his nightshirt and laid her hands on his back, rubbing him over to relax his muscles.

"Here?" she asked, and the man made a soft sound of confirmation before she began to knead at the spot with the heel of her palm and fingers.

Asari purred contently as she manipulated and soothed his body until he had melted into their plush pillows and mattress.

"You like that, huh?" the woman chuckled as she managed to undo a knot and liquify him. "My happy boy."

"Your happy boy," he agreed, before sighing as she dug her fingers just below his skull and worked at the tension in his nape.

The woman worked him over from temple to toe until Asari was left loose and pliant on their mattress, eyes hooded and relaxed, something she only encouraged by carding his scalp softly while stroking her rough palm down his back. Though it wasn't a deep, laborious sensation, the light touching somehow was unravelling his muscles in a gradual, urging manner that made his breath deeper and slower.

"Feeling better, my love?" she asked, voice barely a whisper and Asari could only groan appreciatively in response. "Want me to do your writing hand too?"

"Please," he murmured sleepily, the bed shifting as "_my darling" _moved and settled at his side.

Asari felt himself bite back a soft whine, having grown used to the weight on the back of his thighs and the warmth that had settled with it, enjoying the secure feeling of having that woman astride him. He only made a small noise, however, when she pulled the blankets back on top of his form and her lap, before grasping his hand and pressed her fingers into his palm.

The Rain honestly couldn't remember ever feeling this at ease, nor could he remember if this really was his ease or not; the sensations and emotions blending indecipherably at the woman's_, "my wife's"_, touch and attention. He honestly didn't care either. So long as she kept her hands on his skin, he'd be happy.

"Sleep. Sleep, darling," the source of his bliss urged, brushing his hair out of his eyes so gently, still working at his hand. "You've worked all day. You deserve to rest. Sleep, my love."

"You too," he grumbled, and she blinked before smiling in that heartbreaking manner. "Come sleep."

"Okay," she hushed, stroking his scalp to lull him back into his drowsy state.

The woman tugged at the blankets before sliding down and settling next to him, her hand laying on his back as she curled up on his side.

Asari felt himself smile as she stroked his spine with her thumb and pressed a light kiss to his shoulder. He watched from under the thin, fuzzy veil of shallow awareness as _"my wife"_ nuzzled at his bicep and sighed through her nose.

"I love you..." the woman hummed.

Asari thought she said something after that, but he couldn't quite hear it, his ears muted as if stuffed with cotton. He heard the beats of the word, however; a three-syllable word.

He smiled a bit and thought, A-Sa-Ri.

"I love you too, Daiki," he found himself murmuring, and she smiled as she flushed.

The woman gazed at him from under her lashes before craning her neck and kissed the Rain softly, a happy hum whispering out against his lips.

"Goodnight."

* * *

Asari stared up at the ceiling as sunlight streamed in and cast patterns through the room. He breathed deeply, feeling the ease of his muscles and light phantom aches where fingers had reached in deep.

Asari reached up and touched at his lips, before he smiled, "Daiki."


	6. Chapter 6: Dual Daiki-ing

**Hi, hi, hi~! I'm starting to move the projects from Cooling Rack: Patience is a Virtue onto CRUMBS. To make things tidy and together, as well as enable me to work more on some of the little skits in a place where they be accessed together. Like this! I'm thinking of 'updating' this universe with a sequel :3**

* * *

**|Requested Chapter|**

**Dual Daiki-ing**

**Yamaguchi and Aomine (finally) meet!**

* * *

**Patience Is A Virtue**

**Guest: **_**This is just an idea but wouldn't it be really cool if Yamaguchi Daiki met Aomine Daiki! Like the GoM stop in Namimori for some reason (you can come up with it) and just meet or see Daiki. It could be in the bakery (Murasakibara likes sweets) or just him randomly doing basketball for some reason (In his red and black fitness shirt of course)! Their reactions to seeing an Aomine Daiki doppelganger minus the attitude would be PRICELESS! This one-shot is just an idea of mine, you can take it if you want (or completely ignore it) I don't mind. Thanks for reading this and I really enjoy your omakes!**_

**The Baker's Daughter **

**Guest: **_**You now I want someone to make a crossover of Knb and this story. Just imagining Aomine Daiki meeting Yamaguchi Daiki. Two carbon copies in the same room! There are quite a bit of difference between them. Like how Daiki is more of a fighter than a basketball player. I hope someone makes it. One-shot or something, you can take this idea if anyone wants it.**_

…

**LeNoRi:** Yes, we read the reviews, and we are here to deliver. :) And yes, I sat down and went through _all_ 486 +7 reviews to find these specific two. Praise me.

**Plunny:** Consider yourself praised, I (hopefully) won't even need holy water this time!

…

**Of course, this is not 'canon', and any and all things that happen in this one-shot thing have no impact on the main story of TB'sD.**

**Word Count: **7549

* * *

**Time Frame:**

**KHR: **After Kokuyo Arc, before Varia Arc

**KnB: **Pre-Canon, Teiko days.

* * *

"What the fuck? Namimori? Where the hell is that?"

"Aomine-kun, try to keep your profanities to a minimum."

The Teiko Ace spun around to glare down at his shadow, a huff of annoyance leaving him as he crossed his tanned arms.

"I don't get why the coach wants us to play at some no-name school. It's fucking dumb!"

"Oh, c'mon, Aominecchi. They might be a challenge! We don't know since we've never heard of them before," the blond copy-cat smiled, throwing an arm over the blue-haired boy's shoulder.

"The horoscope for the majority of the signs foretells confusing and exciting events, perhaps this will be why."

The trio of boys turned together to look at the player beside them, bandaged fingers straightening glasses habitually as his other hand clutched a small and yellow bird figurine. Aomine Daiki pulled a face as the rest of the so-called '_Generation of Miracles' _strode into the Teiko gym.

"I see you have all received the news, then?" Akashi hummed, blinking heterochromatic eyes at them.

"Why the fuck are we going to a school in the middle of nowhere?! I've never even heard of Namimori!" the ace snapped again, shoving Kise off of him.

"Hm, Namimori isn't all that far away, actually," Kuroko suddenly stated, a good portion of the attending choking on spit in surprise.

"Fuck! Kuroko-kun, don't do that!"

"Kurokocchi!"

"Hello, Kuroko-kun."

"Good afternoon, Murasakibara-kun. As I was saying, Namimori isn't that far away, my aunt has a friend in the next town over from it," the Phantom continued, looking to the red-haired Emperor.

"It's only three hours from Tokyo by car."

Akashi nodded in understanding before casting his eyes to the door, the barrier slamming open seconds after to reveal their manager as she dashed in with a small pile of papers. Momoi gave a loud breath as she came to a stop before the rainbow squad, Kise smiling in greeting.

"I have the permission slips! You all need to hand them in by next week," the pink-haired girl chirped, handing each player a piece.

"What about the other Teiko members, Momoi-chan," Kuroko asked, taking the sheet from her hands gratefully.

"Hm?" she sounded, before smiling and shaking her head.

"Oh, coach could only get a select few out of classes. The third years are too busy with the exams, and the first years are still too inexperienced. So here you are, second years, right in the green."

The rest of the GoM made noises of understanding as they halfheartedly read the requirements of the excursion, Aomine shoving it in his bag without care.

"Whatever," The ace sighed, taking steps away from the brightly coloured team. "I doubt they'll be worth anything."

"Be sure to come to school by seven, Aomine-san," Akashi called, neatly folding his own note.

"Yeah, yeah," Aomine grunted, walking out the door.

"Dai-chan, wait up! Ah, bye-bye, Tetsu-kun!" Momoi called, before chasing after her friend.

Kuroko waved politely as the others began filtering out, the giant of the team muttering about having to look up all the places that sell good sweets in Namimori. Eventually, only the short duo were left in the gym, pale blue and red looking to each other as the door swung closed.

"What are your thoughts on this Namimori Middle?" Akashi asked, clasping his hand behind his back.

Kuroko blinked slowly as he thought it over, a slight tilt coming to his head as he gave a small hum. Soon after, he shrugged, straightening himself out.

"I don't really know. But, I suppose, it may be interesting."

This peaked the Emperor's interest, his brief years of knowing the slightly shorter boy proving that such an event was unusual and rare.

"Oh?" he asked, prompting elaboration.

"It's only a feeling. Perhaps wishful thinking, really," the Phantom player responded, zipping up his bag and securing it on his shoulder.

"But, even if Namimori Middle doesn't provide a challenge, my aunt says that there's a bakery there that- and I quote- is to die for."

"Ah," Akashi breathed, gesturing for his companion to walk with him. "What's this place called?"

"Yamaguchi Bakery."

* * *

"Chattering Herbivore."

"Oh, hey Hibari-san."

Yamaguchi Daiki looked up from his homework to view the Skylark perched on his window sill, curtains fluttering dramatically in the nighttime air, as they usually did when the older boy came around.

"What can I do for you on this _auspicious _occasion?" he asked, stressing the word theatrically.

If Hibari had been any less of a Cloud, he might just have rolled his eyes at the younger, but the status quo would not allow for that, forcing him to merely let his lips tilt downward slightly and release an unamused grunt. Stepping off the sill, the DC head crossed the room before sitting himself down on the side of the baker's son's desk, one leg coming to cross over the other.

"Nami-chuu is going to have another school's sports team visit us for Wednesday, Teiko. I want you to keep alert in case they cause a disturbance."

"Oh? And if they do?" Daiki hummed, leaning his cheek on his fist as he smiled up at the Skylark.

"Do what is necessary to maintain order. Force, if required." Hibari grunted, crossing his arms.

"Will do, but I doubt they'll do anything too strange. They'll probably be busy practising."

"Not everyone is as devoted to their sports as that Yamamoto boy of yours," the Cloud huffed, nodding his head to the lump in the green and gold sheets.

"If you say so, but you've seen those guys, right? Some of them act like they've only got one shot," the Sun hummed, looking to the sleeping teen.

Daiki got to his feet and began crossing the room, mattress sinking slightly as he sat on the side. A faint sound arose from the mass behind him, tanned hand slinking out from under the covers to feel around for his. The Yakuza heir smiled before wrapping the wondering limb in his own and planting a kiss on the back, a sigh escaping the Rain hidden in his cocoon.

"So, this Teiko's coming to Namimori next Wednesday. Be aware, don't let them do anything dumb. That all?"

"Hm, yeah." Hibari assured, giving a decisive nod.

"Great, I'll do my best. Can you turn off the lamp on your way out?" Daiki asked, looking to the desk lamp that illuminated the room dully.

"Goodnight, handler."

"Goodnight, birdy."

The tall Yamaguchi gently unravelled the sheets from around the other boy as darkness consumed the room, the sounds of the window sliding shut proving that the Skylark had made his exit. Takeshi wasted no time in wrapping himself around the body of warmth provided to him, the soft laugh that left the Yakuza making him give a quiet huff as he buried his face into the other's shoulder, leg wedged between Daiki's own.

"Hey, love," the Sun hummed, seeing mocha orbs look at him through slitted eyelids.

"Mhm...Who was that?" the Rain asked, shifting as an arm was thrown over his side, the other sliding under his head to act as a pillow.

"It was Hibari-san. He came around to inform me of an incursion happening soon. Wednesday."

"Ah…" Takeshi breathed, blinking slowly. "Why did you leave the bed?"

Daiki smiled as the sight of a sleepy fiancé made a warmth swell in his chest, nose coming to bump against the other's, eliciting a small sound of surprise.

"You're adorable, Takeshi-kun," he cooed, nuzzling his intended as arms began to tighten around him.

"Hm, I know I am. Now, answer the question."

"Wow," The Yakuza laughed, hand coming to play with the short hairs at the base of the swordsman's skull, "No modesty in this one. I had some things to finish, that's all."

"Shujin-kun, if I didn't have any modesty, I wouldn't be wearing any clothes right now. And neither would you, for that matter." Takeshi stated, voice lilting as-a-matter-of-factly.

Daiki blinked before wondering why he was even surprised anymore, knowing full well that the younger boy was rather _forward _with his words.

"Takeshi-kun, do I need to bathe you in holy water?"

"Why?"

"To regain your purity."

"Why bother? It will all be wasted the second I so much as hear you again."

The Sun gave a loud laugh at that, before tilting his head to let it drop onto the smaller's shoulder. He hummed before opening his mouth and letting teeth lightly scrape across skin, a sound of pleasant surprise leaving the young Yamamoto.

"Hm, I guess getting to see you in a bath will have to wait."

"Oh, is _that_ what you wanted? And you say I'm bad."

"Maybe...And oh, you are," Daiki hummed, before shifting to hug his fiancé close.

"So, this incursion?" Takeshi asked, their play fully waking him.

"Teiko, a middle school from one of the bigger cities. It's one of their sports teams, but I don't know which one; might be baseball. Hope so, at least."

The Rain made a noise of interest, tilting his head back to view the taller's.

"That'd be cool, but our first years are still a bit rough around the edges," he admitted, moving his hand along the arm wrapped around his side, gently groping the muscled limb.

"I'm sure they'll be great by the time you're through with them." Daiki assured, tensing his arm to make the hand bounce.

"Yeah, there's this one kid, _damn _can he hit a ball!"

The Yakuza let out a laugh at the Mafia's enthusiasm, a smile coming to his face as he listened to the other titter animatedly about how he was going to make that diamond in the rough shine. Eventually, the Sun began noticing his partner's fatigue, a slight airy quality coming to his voice as his blinks became slow. The Rain didn't seem to realise his own state, full ready to talk through the night, which he probably would have, if not for the sudden smothering kiss dropped on his lips.

"Time for bed, love. You're tired, I can tell."

Takeshi pouted as he tried to chase after the broken kiss, a sound of disappointment coming as he dropped his head back onto Daiki's arm.

"Goodnight, shujin-kun. I love you," the Yamaguchi hummed, nuzzling his fiancé in attempts to settle him.

The address and claim of emotion did the job wonderfully, the Rain responding by planting a small barrage of kisses along the tanned bicep of his pillow.

"G'night, shujin-kun. I love you too."

* * *

Momoi gave a loud gasp of relief as she saw Aomine come through the gates, the air still chilled from the night.

"You actually came on time!" she squealed, grabbing his head and squashing it against her breast in her own kind of hug.

"..."

"Momoi-chan, I do not believe he can breathe," Kuroko suddenly commented, popping his head out from within the minibus.

"Oh! Dai-chan, you should have said something!"

The Teiko ace took a deep breath of air as he was released, a harsh glare coming off before he shoved past, waving his middle finger at the long-time friend.

"How can I talk when your boobs are smothering me!?"

Momoi pouted and crossed her arms, a huff leaving her as she followed the other into the minibus, dropping down in the vacant seat beside Kuroko.

"So," Akashi started suddenly, upfront in shotgun as usual. "What can you tell us about Namimori, Kuroko-kun?"

"Uh, well," the Phantom began, bringing his gaze up from his phone. "It's a small town, I suppose. Quiet, but not overly so. I believe it has quite the weekend markets, though."

"That's great," Aomine grouched, hands behind his head as he took up the single seat. "But what about the players?"

Kuroko blinked slowly before looking out the window in thought, a hum leaving him as he turned back.

"I have no idea."

The Teiko ace frowned before sinking further into his seat, turning to watch the city turn into highway.

The remainder of the trip was in relative peace, as peaceful as having the GoM squished into a minibus for three hours could get, that is.

"Hey, Kise-kun, stop kicking my seat!"

"It's too cramped in here."

"Shut the fuck up, will you!? I'm trying to take a nap!"

"I can't get a signal to check the horoscope update."

"Kurokocchi, take a selfie with me!"

"I should have taken the corvette."

"I wonder if we can stop for milkshakes…"

"Ah, my phone didn't charge! Dai-chan, give me your cable!"

The coach of the Teiko basketball team twitched in his seat, wondering if these guys were really worth it, despite their in-game skills.

"Don't fret, sensei." Akashi hummed, smiling at the road ahead of them. "There's only two-and-a-half hours of this left. Not including the return trip."

If the man was less scared of the prodigy, he might just have groaned.

**. . .**

"Okay, boys and girl! We're here!"

Momoi smiled at the back of the coach's seat before sliding out, her small legion of boys following after.

"So this is Namimori Middle." Akashi breathed, hands folded behind his back as he viewed the school building with apathy.

"Looks like every other school in Japan." Aomine huffed, glaring off to the side as he took back his charger cable from Momoi.

"The principal said that their disciplinary committee head will come to collect you," the coach informed, before driving off the park their transport.

"Ah, I think that's him."

Multicoloured eyes turned at Kuroko's call, a figure making itself known from the doors of the building, open jacket billowing after him. He was of regular height and build, Asian features obvious as he stepped up in front of the GoM, regarding them with an unimpressed gaze.

"Hello, we're from Teiko Middle in-"

"Yes, I know who you are," he cut off, slate orbs piercing the blond player.

The basketballers blinked in surprise, unused to such an action from a response to their friendliest player.

Grayscale eyes dragged along their line up, examining each member before landing on the ace, eyebrows lowering into a furrow of aggravation.

"What are you doing?" the unnamed student asked, making Aomine raise an eyebrow.

"You talkin' to me?" he snapped, crossing his arms.

This made the other frown more, jacket swaying as he stepped closer and narrowed his eyes at the blue-haired boy.

"Wrong eye colour. Too short. Not enough muscle. Voice is too high," he said suddenly, before moving back and dismissing the jaw dropped male.

"The fuck!? 'Too short'! I'm taller than you!" the ace roared, falling silent as a cold beam of metal touched his throat.

The GoM tensed at the sudden display of weaponry, confusion bombarding them as they finally noticed the tonfa grasped in the boy's hands. Aomine gulped, skin brushing the metallic surface, before baring his teeth at the DC head.

"The hell are you doing!? You can't just-"

"Quiet, herbivore."

The slate eyed boy then pulled a phone from his pocket and clicked a speed dial, other hand still holding the ace at bay.

"Get me my handler. To my office," he ordered, before shutting the device and stepping away from the frozen Aomine. "My name is Hibari Kyoya. This is Namimori."

And with that he turned and walked, not so much as glancing over his shoulder to make sure they followed.

Kuroko stood beside Aomine as the tanned boy rubbed his neck, the faint sting of cold still lingering on the skin. The Teiko students glanced at each other unsurely before chasing after the Namimori tyrant, eventually coming to a stop at the school gym.

"Club activities will begin in fifteen minutes, I suggest you get used to the layout until then," Hibari grunted, before walking out the door and leaving the GoM to their devices in this dangerous school.

"Dai-chan, are you okay?!" Momoi asked, grabbing the taller's collar to check for injuries.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just-" Aomine cut himself off with a scowl.

"He thought you were someone else for a moment, didn't he?" Akashi commented, drawing the memory up.

"Yeah! He did!" Kise responded, eyes widening in realisation.

"Okay ladies, cut the chatter! Let's get you warmed up, you need to stretch your legs after that ride. You especially, Murasakibara-kun," Coach called, pulling the group from their topic.

Aomine scowled but followed his teammates into the changeroom, the lot of them stripping off and suiting up.

Who could possibly get mixed up with Aomine Daiki? The only one who could be like him, was him.

* * *

Yamaguchi Daiki sighed as a DC member stuck his head into his classroom, an expression of apology obvious as he watched the third year rise from his seat.

"Let me guess, the birdy got his feathers all ruffled?"

"Uh...If you mean that Hibari-sama has called for you, then yes?"

Amber-earth glanced at the teacher and gave a thanks as he was given the go-ahead, bag replaced and shoved onto his shoulder as he followed the new member of the DC out. At the door of the reception room, Daiki was left by himself, the small pompadour dashing off as Hibari's voice came through.

"Get in here, Chattering Herbivore."

"Afternoon, Hibari-san. Long time no see!"

"I saw you this morning."

"I know. I was being sarcastic."

The Sun sighed and walked further into the room, dropping himself on one of the couches before looking to the Skylark seated at his desk.

"So, why d'you call me, birdy? Not that I'm complaining about an early mark, of course."

"Do you have any siblings?" Hibari grunted, getting straight to it.

Daiki blinked in confusion, head falling to the side as he tried to piece together whatever the bird was trying to tell him, before eventually shaking a 'no'.

"No, none that I am aware of. Why do you ask?"

The Cloud frowned, leaning back in his chair as he crossed his arms.

"Hm," he huffed, closing his eyes and relaxing slightly as he prepared to sleep.

The Sun rolled his eyes at the response before getting up and crossing the room, lifting the older boy from his chair easily. Hibari didn't react as he was carried across the room, the taller boy disposing of him gently onto the couch.

"Have a nap, birdy. The bell doesn't ring for another ten minutes, so I'll hang around until then." Daiki breathed, dropping down in the opposite seating.

"Quiet, handler."

"Okay, okay."

* * *

Aomine scowled as he felt his skin crawl under the eyes of the other gym occupants, the Namimori Middle students looking at him with wide eyes and even wider mouths.

"_My God, that can't be him, right?"_

"_No, he's too short, see!"_

"_Look at his eyes! His eyes are wrong!"_

"_Yeah! Oh, thank the Lord!"_

"_Holy shit, that's trippy."_

"_Ah...is he like, a long-lost twin?"_

"Can we just play already, God damn it!?" the ace roared, having enough of the barely-whispers.

His team shifted around him, unsure about the reactions they were getting, before looking to the Namimori captain as he turned to one of the benched players.

"Go get Yamaguchi-san! He should be at the baseball practice game!"

"Yes, senpai!"

"Okay teams, let's get this underway!" the coaches boomed, finally finishing whatever conversation they were having.

The toss couldn't come soon enough for the Teiko ace, his feet already moving as fingers skimmed the barely airborne ball. Heavy footfalls were the only warning for the Namimori team, their wide eyes slowly turning to the hanging GoM.

Aomine glared at the home team as he held onto the hoop, ball bouncing away after an unhindered slam dunk.

"Focus, asshole! The only me, is me!" he roared, knees bending as he hit the ground and stormed back to his side of the court.

The Teiko students cast their gaze over their opponents, an unimpressed expression marring the lot of them as they took in the less than stellar competition.

"I told you, they won't be worth anything." Aomine huffed, not even bothering to stance himself as the other team got possession.

"I guess you were right, Aominecchi."

It was a one-sided thrashing from there, the few scores made by Nami-chuu easily stomped out by the GoM's barrage of nonstop points. With basket after basket and steal after steal, it was obvious that the weaker team was beginning to give up trying against the powerhouses.

"_I've got Yamaguchi-senpai!"_

"Oh, again with the mother fucking Yamaguchi!?" Aomine groaned, throwing his head back in aggravation.

"_Not even going to add on an honorific? Quite the rude one, aren't you?"_

Holy shit, his voice sounds like sex.

Kise's jaw dropped openly as the others managed to keep some of their decorum, baffled expressions obvious as their eyes snapped between their own and Namimori's.

"Ah...ah, Aominecchi? Do you have, like, a big brother you should have told us about?"

"Yep, I'm out," Aomine said suddenly, finally able to pry his eyes away from his doppelganger.

"Likewise," Yamaguchi mimicked, turning on his heel and proceeding to get the fuck out.

"No, no, no! We need to know what the hell is going on here!" the Namimori captain yelped, grabbing hold of the taller boy and towing him back into the gym.

"Aomine-kun, come here."

"Go to hell, Akashi-kun!"

"Murasakibara-kun."

"Yeah, yeah."

Aomine roared and kicked up a fuss as the purple giant dragged him back, the two mirror images forced before each other with varying expressions of distrust. As the two eyed each other, Yamaguchi was the first to talk.

"Do you, by any chance, know of a man by the name of Yamada?"

The Teiko ace blinked before scowling and shaking his head.

"Why would I?"

A sigh of relief left the taller of the duo, a small smile coming to his face as he relaxed slightly.

"Good, I don't have to kill him, then."

Kill?

The GoM latched onto the word more literally than they usually would, the memory of Hibari still very much fresh in their minds.

"You have such a nice way of speaking! So polite! Dai-chan, why can't you talk like that?" Momoi squealed, circling the older boy as she examined him up and down.

"You want me to talk like I'm the goddamn dictionary!?"

"No, just with a bit more…"

"Finesse?" Yamaguchi offered, making the pink-haired girl nod quickly in agreement.

"Yeah! Finesse!"

"Case and point," Aomine grumbled, before wincing as Kuroko suddenly poked him in the side.

The Teiko ace turned and raised an eyebrow as he viewed the rest of his generation, taking a moment to bask in the rare displays of utter confusion and stupor on their faces.

"What the hell, Aomine-kun?" Midorima managed out, his usually perfect glasses sliding dangerously low.

"Well, what's your name, anyway?" Yamaguchi asked, stepping up beside his double.

"Tell me yours first," the shorter shot back.

The Sun didn't seem bothered by his sharp tongue, a patient smile coming to his face as he responded.

"Yamaguchi Daiki, pleasure to meet you."

…

"Oh dear, I believe Kise-kun just fainted." Kuroko hummed numbly, looking down at the blond player.

"_D-D-Daiki!?"_ Aomine squeaked, Momoi coming to his side with a similar expression.

"Only one 'D'."

The GoM choked mutely as they tried to figure out what the _fuck _was going on. Two boys who look almost exactly the same and have the same given names.

"From your reaction, I'm going to take a wild guess and say we share that as well. Aomine Daiki," Yamaguchi sighed, before straightening and turning to the still stunned Teiko.

"I suppose you were received by Hibari-san, correct? Not what I'd call the best introduction to the school, I promise, we're not all as..._Intense_, as he is."

Akashi gathered himself quickly, the slight part of his lips sealing as he kicked back into gear and straightened himself out.

"You would be correct in your suspicions, we were received by Hibari Kyoya, as he called himself."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Kise interrupted, reviving himself. "You can't change the subject like that!"

"I agree, we all need a bit of solace. Take Murasakibara-kun, for example," the green-haired shooter huffed, moving to fix his glasses.

Following his recommendation, the two Daikis looked to the purple giant, amusement pulling roughly at their lips when they noticed the unmoving nature of the boy, paused mid-bite.

"Are you okay there, Murasakibara-san?" Yamaguchi asked, seemingly ever amused smile on his face.

"..."

A quiet laugh escaped the taller Daiki as the purple giant quickly animated himself again, his eyes dropping to the third year.

"Your last name is Yamaguchi, yeah? As in the Yamaguchi Bakery?" Murasakibara questioned, expression shifting ever so slightly into one of vague excitement at the other's nod.

"The very same, I'm the baker's son."

"Yamaguchi Bakery is highly rated, I plan on visiting before we leave for Teiko again."

"You're welcome to, we'd be happy to have you."

"You changed the topic again!"

"It would appear that Aomine-san and I are similar in appearance- uncannily so- and we just so happen to meet. This issue has been discussed and resolved, so may we please move on?" Yamaguchi sighed, looking to the frazzled copy cat.

"No! It hasn't been resolved in my heart!"

Aomine rolled his eyes at the boy's dramatics, instead, sticking his gaze on his source of discomfort. Yamaguchi Daiki was a sight to see, no doubt, and the basketballer couldn't call him anything less than handsome without downplaying his own attractiveness. Nonetheless, having someone be almost your perfect replica was more than a little disconcerting.

"Don't worry yourself over it," Yamaguchi hummed, suddenly at his side, the GoM having their own little group breakdown. "Despite our similar appearance, we are still very much individuals. You said it yourself, I talk like a dictionary, you do not."

"We look more than similar, Yamaguchi-san. We look practically identical."

"A coincidence of amazing proportions. Trust me, I am just as unsettled by sharing a face as you are, my friend."

"I am not your 'friend'," Aomine huffed, coming to cross his arms.

"_Hey, hey, hey! Why'd the game stop!?"_

"Finally noticed, huh?" the Sun breathed, before turning to the coaches.

"Why are you here, Yamaguchi-san?" the Namimori coach asked, making his fellow snap his head between the two Daikis.

"Wait-How?!"

"We've already discussed this in length, sensei. Your disengagement to the situation is no fault of ours, neither is your confusion or unanswered questions," the third year cut off, raising his hand to halt the teachers. "I do believe the game has been put on hold for long enough so why don't I- What the _fuck _is that?"

The gym flinched at the sudden harshness of the Sun's tone, heads snapping to the man at the vulgar language. Amber-earth turned on the Namimori captain with an intensity that made Aomine seize up, legs tensing in preparation to move.

People watched as Yamaguchi crossed the distanced and kept walking, the Namimori captain eventually bumping against the wall as a hand slammed up above his head. The Sun loomed over the smaller third year, his face way too close to the other's as a faint hue coloured the cheeks beneath fearful eyes.

"Yamaguchi-san?"

"_Kaito-san,"_ Yamaguchi purred, an almost Mexican wave of stiffening going through the teams. "Care to explain to me that scoreboard over there?"

"A-ah, um, well, you see these guys, they're, um-"

Aomine snorted loudly as he rejoined his team, the players still a bit light-headed from the double vision.

"Can you blame them? They're no match for us."

Yamaguchi looked to his other from the corner of his eye, amber-earth clashing with deep blue as the unspoken challenge was conveyed by the snarky teen.

"Okay then…" the Sun growled, before pushing off the wall. "Kaito-san, I'm going to borrow your boys."

The Namimori captain let out a breath as he slid down to the floor, eyes still wide and his shorts tenting.

"Sure, Yamaguchi-san. Anything you want."

The GoM watched in mild confusion as the Namimori student plucked the clipboard from the manager's hands, little first-year squeaking in surprise. He scanned through the contents, flipping pages before sighing and handing it back, turning to face the fidgeting team.

"Let's give this a try, then," Yamaguchi hummed, before reaching out and grabbing a duo of players. "You, kick me in the side," he ordered, patting his right side.

"What!? Yamaguchi-senpai I-"

"Do as you are told."

The second-year jumped at the tone before lowering his head, expression showing uncertainty as he brought his leg up and sent his foot into the tender flesh. Kise's jaw fell once more as the taller Daiki gave a thoughtful hum before turning to the other he had snagged, no outward reaction to a full, roundhouse kick.

"And now you."

This one held less hesitation, no regard for the elder's health held as he slammed his limb along the target, eyes widening when Yamaguchi didn't so much as wince.

"Okay," the Sun suddenly declared, straightening himself. "You go from the left, you from the right. You're both short, but you have sufficient leg power that will allow you to make up for that."

The two teammates looked at each other, before shrugging and nodding at their upperclassman, who then turned and grabbed another boy.

"I want you to sit out."

"Wh- Why!?" he yelped, landing heavily on the bench as the runner was dragged off.

"Just sit and observe the game, it will do you well," Yamaguchi stated, before turning to the manager. "Give him a ten minute cool down before letting him get back in."

"Yes, senpai," the girl responded, nodding her head quickly.

"You and you, pair up. You're best friends now, don't ignore each other like you have been. One doesn't move without the other."

The two boys that had been called out grimaced at the order before their teammates pushed them together, their shoulders bumping as they met.

"I want you three to rotate that formation you have going. It's good, but having the same spearhead can make it predictable."

"Sir, yes sir!"

"You, the one hiding behind Kaito-san, I want you to use your size to your advantage. You have less weight to carry and take up less space, be smart with it."

"Y-yes sir!"

With the last rearrangement done, Yamaguchi turned to the whole team with crossed arms, eyes narrowed into a glare.

"If you can't bring those numbers up, you'll be running warm-ups with the boxing club!"

The Namimori team paled exponentially at the threat, the boys immediately fleeing the bench to station themselves along their side of the court. The GoM raised a collective eyebrow at the sudden motivation within the once meek team, wondering just what was going on with this 'boxing club'.

"What's wrong with the boxing club?" Kise voiced, making the Namimori manager perk up.

"Yamaguchi-senpai is the vice-captain of Namimori's boxing club, they've become really intense with their workouts since Sasagawa-senpai became the captain."

Momoi blinked before looking down at the other girl's clipboard.

"What exactly is in that? Yamaguchi-san made a whole new arrangement just from reading it."

"Hm?" the first year blinked before laughing and turning the board around. "Oh, mostly just the basics. There's a few game plans and timetables, a couple workout regimes. Names, too, of course."

"Shit." Aomine whistled, getting a giggle from the girl.

"Yeah, Yamaguchi-senpai is pretty impressive."

"But wait," Midorima suddenly spoke, making the others turn. "If Yamaguchi-san is in the boxing club, why was he at baseball practice?"

The Teiko team paused as the Namimori student gave them a baffled look that morphed into one of deadpan, a few seconds of silence ticking by until she suddenly straightened.

"Oh! Haha, sorry, it's common knowledge around here, so I forgot you didn't know!" she laughed, tapping her head with her clipboard. "Yamaguchi-senpai's boyfriend is in the baseball club, so he sometimes goes to watch their practice games."

…

"_What!?"_

"I know," she sighed, hugging her board to her chest. "It's such a shame he's taken."

He's _gay!? _Aomine's look-alike was-

"Hahaha!" Kise burst, his self-restraint nonexistent.

"He's not gay, if you were wondering," the Namimori manager chirped, pausing the copycat's glee. "A girl asked after he turned her confession down, thinking that was why, but he told her that he wasn't. Yamaguchi-senpai is pansexual, actually."

"Aw, why do you have to take away my happiness, Manager-chan?" the blond player pouted, a sigh of relief leaving the blue-haired one.

"I have a name you know. It's Yukio, not that you asked."

Kise's smile stuttered for a moment before it revived, his long arm slinging itself over her shoulder.

"Sorry, Yukio-chan! That's such a cute name!"

"Thanks, but could you take your arm off me? I don't think my girlfriend would appreciate you being so hands," Yukio hummed, pointing to a glowering volleyball player from across the gym.

Kise immediately stepped back, his hands clasping behind his back as he moved to hide behind Murasakibara, the purple giant blinking slowly.

"I want that score evened out, at the very least! Got it!?" Yamaguchi roared, voice bouncing off walls and polished floors as the victims jolted to attention.

"Yes, sir!"

The Sun nodded before turning and looking to the coach, walking off the court as he waved his hand dismissively.

"All yours, sensei."

Aomine almost released a cry of celebration as the game finally got back on track, players shooting off from their stations to follow the ball and screen off opponents.

...Well shit, Yamaguchi is no joke.

Aomine bared his teeth as his charge was forcefully stopped, a three-man screen coming up to block him. He gave a rough sound as he moved to the side quickly, a flash of the Namimori colours his only warning to move the ball before the small one from before made a grab for the now vacant space.

"Ah, sorry senpai! I wasn't fast enough!" he cried, quickly abandoning his task to go back to the mass of his team.

"No worries, we were close! Just need to get closer!"

Yeah, they got _really_ close.

Aomine scowled as he gave up the ball to seemingly empty air, pale blue taking possession as the Light launched forwards, his screen in disarray. Slamming his feet down, the Light's knees bent as he prepared to make a jump, ball slipping into his hands from the phantom. With his body now airborne, Aomine prepared to jam the basket, only to widen his eyes as his view was obscured by two blockers, the ones that had kicked Yamaguchi.

The rightmost jumper brought his hand down and punched the ball from Aomine's possession, the other duo already waiting for it and passing it between them as they worked around Murasakibara, the giant fumbling slightly as smaller forms swapped possession rapidly.

"Senpai!" One shouted, before passing it to Kaito who was already mid-jump, hand slamming the ball into Teiko's hoop.

"Yes!" they roared, fist-pumping in victory as their counter went up one.

"Don't you all celebrate just yet, there's still a fifteen point gap! I want that gone!" Yamaguchi snapped, making the Namimori quickly dash back into form, Yukio giving a giggle at their expense.

"Jeez," Kise laughed hesitantly. "He sounds like a drill sergeant."

"And he has the efficiency of one," Akashi breathed, narrowing heterochromatic eyes at the taller Daiki.

Play after play, it got harder to keep the fifteen-point gap steady. Teiko gave just as well as they got, but Namimori's new rotations and movements had thrown them for a loop, their footing unsteady as the underdogs came back with a bite.

"Nine point difference, keep it up, Namimori!" Yukio called, flipping their point card again.

Ten minutes, and fourteen total hoops later, the Namimori coach called for a time out, the sinister smile on Yamaguchi's face making the hairs on the back of Teiko's neck stand tall.

"Swap out!" he sang, sounding _way _too happy.

The benched player slowly stood and strode onto the court, eyes vacant as he was deep in thought. As the umpire blew the whistle, Teiko was on high alert of the new player.

Aomine shook his head before engaging the ball, stealing it from a Namimori easily and running through the game, before stalling suddenly, his hands empty.

"What the-"

"Senpai, catch!"

"Got it!"

Multicoloured eyes shot to the out of nowhere three-pointer, the benched player panting with a grin stretched across his face.

"He knows how you run, Aomine-kun," Kuroko hummed, at the Light's side as per usual.

"After ten minutes? Like fuck."

"Ten minutes is all he needs," Yamaguchi smiled, the two standing fairly close to his side of the lines. "That boy learns from watching. He's a cello genius who can't read music for his life, but learns by watching people's hands. This, of course, equals amazing observation skills, where even the tiniest detail is taken into account."

Pale blue eyes jumped to the cellist, a slight noise leaving the shadow.

"But how did you know that he played cello? It's not on my clipboard!" Yukio gasped, flipping through.

"Oh, his mother often comes to the bakery. Two loaves of white and one whole grain is her usual order." Yamaguchi answered, smiling cheekily from directly behind her as the girl jumped.

"All I needed you needed was his name," Kuroko breathed, making the Sun smile wider.

"Names are a powerful thing, Kuroko-san."

The players blinked before running off after the ball, another whistleblowing as the point gap became eight.

**...**

Teiko and Namimori panted with equal exhaustion, the final score showing 41 to 43, giving the GoM the game. It had been close as all hell, and if it weren't for Aomine all but punching the ball from Kaito's hand, Namimori would have scored a three-pointer and won the game.

The home team groaned as the strain of the game caught up with them, adrenaline high no longer there to block their receptors. They didn't look upset, however, huge grins all but stapled to their faces as they gave desperate lungfuls of air.

"Wow, that was pretty intense," Yukio breathed shakily, her hands clamped hard on her clipboard.

"Yeah," Yamaguchi responded, looking all too pleased with himself, arms crossed before his chest.

"_Line up!"_

Both sports teams followed the command, legs burning with effort as they stood before each other.

"_Thank you very much!"_

As Namimori worked to pack away the equipment, Teiko was directed back to the change rooms, their uniforms sweat and dirt-stained after the game. With their clothes refreshed and skin less shiny, the GoM filed out into the gym again where Yamaguchi was chatting away with the pink-haired manager.

"You really are totally different from Dai-chan!" Momoi laughed, bag in her hands.

"Different lives," he shrugged, polite smile plastered on his face.

"So, Yamaguchi-san, I hear you have a boy-"

"_Yamaguchi Daiki!"_

The GoM stalled their approach in confusion as the tall boy was bowled over by a blur of tan and white, the voice unfamiliar. The Sun groaned as he was straddled by a younger boy, a white, grass-stained Namimori baseball uniform standing out against his darker colouring.

"Yamaguchi Daiki, you missed me hit a homerun!" the baseballer cried, glaring down at the pinned third year.

"Huh? Oh," Yamaguchi huffed, finally managing to collect himself after his head had collided with the floor. "Sorry, Takeshi-kun."

The Teiko team jolted involuntarily as the doppelganger paused himself up using his arms and planted a kiss on the sudden intruder.

"Hm...Apology accepted," the smaller boy hummed before going in for another.

"But hey, I have a good excuse," Yamaguchi started, getting out from under his other and lifting him up. "Takeshi-kun, meet Aomine Daiki. Aomine-san, meet Yamamoto Takeshi."

"..."

"Uh...Hi?" Aomine tried, very much unnerved by the wide-eyed look stuck on him.

"Daiki-kun, I wanna keep it," Yamamoto declared suddenly, looking over his shoulder to his fiancé.

"No, Takeshi-kun, you can't keep it." Yamaguchi sighed, wrapping an around the smaller's waist.

"But if I have it, I won't be all lonely when you have to leave for business!"

"_It _is right here!" the ace roared, making the Rain look at him finally.

The Light blinked and pulled back as mocha eyes became critical, a chill going along Aomine's spine as they surveyed his entirety.

"Aw, you don't have Daiki-kun's eyes." Yamamoto suddenly pouted, the sharpness suddenly gone. "His eyes are one of his best features! I can't have a Daiki without his eyes!"

"So you'll have me without my arms?" Yamaguchi huffed.

"I said 'one of'. Your arms are important too, especially when you get your tattoo done."

Aomine barely held back a blanch, the idea of an upstanding boy like Yamaguchi getting a tattoo not quite standard in his mind.

"So, you don't want another Daiki?"

A long, dramatic sigh left the Rain as he slumped back into his intended.

"Guess I'll just have to settle with one."

"Um…" Kise interrupted, raising his hand slightly. "Can we discuss this? In _length_?"

"_Yamaguchi Daiki!"_

"Again?" the Sun breathed, looking to the gym door.

"Ah, that must be Ryohei-san. I saw him on the way here, he sure looked angry."

"Hm," Yamaguchi hummed, glancing down at his fiancé. "Should I prepare to run?"

"Maybe. He sounded pretty close, though."

"True, I suppose I could confront him."

"Do you want to? He sounds pretty pumped."

"Ah, good point."

"Oh, look, he's here."

"Oh, dear. Takeshi-kun, go stand with Teiko, please."

The GoM watched in muted confusion as Yamamoto trotted over to them, a blur of pale colours bolting through the gym doors to come to a sudden stop.

"DAIKI-KUN! YOU _EXTREMELY _SKIPPED PRACTICE!"

"Well, first I was watching Takeshi-kun's game, then I got called away to-"

"NO _EXTREME _EXCUSES! WE WILL _EXTREMELY _PRACTISE NOW TO MAKE UP FOR LOST TIME!"

"Lord above save my soul."

Teiko stood silently as the two-third years began racing around the room, movements that weren't possible for children their age being pulled off in sequence. Yamaguchi was quick to part himself from his friend, feet hitting the floor hard as he vaulted himself up to grab hold of the hoop and swing up to crouch on the orange bar.

"Hey! Come down from there!" the boxer roared, waving gloved hands at the precariously perched Sun.

"But I don't want to."

"Daiki-kun, get down!"

"No."

"Fight me like a man!"

"No. This is actually a lot bigger up close."

"_Why?" _Midorima managed, Kise finally unable to comment.

"Why what?" Yamamoto asked, looking completely indifferent to the bizarre happenings.

"Why is Yamaguchi-san on the basketball hoop?"

"He jumped, of course," he responded, not quite sure what there was to misunderstand.

"But _why?_"

"Because he doesn't want to fight with Ryohei-san."

Midorima fought the desire to deflate in defeat, instead giving a strained sigh as he straightened his glasses.

A sudden chill went through the room as the gym doors slammed open for the hundredth time in so many hours, a dramatic gale blowing as Hibari Kyoya strode into the room.

"Herbivores, you're making a ruckus," he grunted, tonfas in hand.

"Oh, hi, Hibari-san." Yamaguchi greeted, waving lazily.

"EXTREME greetings, Hibari-san!"

The GoM looked to Yamamoto as he fidgeted, a smile coming to his face as he watched the three interact.

"Golden Trio of Namimori!" he sang lightly at their looks, before a loud bang drew their attention back to the third years.

Yamaguchi was back on the floor, four quick steps back taken to avoid an equal amount of swipes to his face from the Skylark. A swift jump and a kick to the side provided the Sun with enough room to drop down and dodge the attack from his fellow, the punch instead connecting with a pale cheek and initiating the three-way.

"_Yamamoto-kun!"_

The Teiko team looked numbly as two second years ran into the gym, the smallest giving a shout of fear when he noticed the brawl.

"_Hiiiee! _They're fighting again!?"

"Haha! Yeah!"

"Fucking giant! Turf top! Stop making the Tenth uncomfortable!" the silver-haired boy yelled, red sticks suddenly in hand.

"No! Gokudera-kun, don't use your dynamite!" the Sky shrieked, running to grab his second's wrists.

"Oh, are you going to use your fireworks?" Yamamoto asked, smile brightening in excitement.

"They're explosives, not fireworks, baseball freak!" Gokudera hissed, waving a lit wick at the Rain.

"Gokudera-kun! Put it out!"

"Daiki-kun! EXTREME RIGHT HOOK!"

"Stop screaming out the attack you're going to use."

"_Kamikorosu."_

"I'd so much rather if you didn't."

"...What the fuck is Namimori?" Aomine squeaked, the GoM giving a strained sound of confused agreement as a bomb went off just shy of the building.

* * *

In the bus back to Teiko, Kuroko suddenly broke out of his thoughts, a small sound of realisation leaving him. Aomine looked up from his magazine at the noise, the only other one awake to hear it.

"What's up?" he asked, his Shadow turning to face him.

"I just realised, I never told Yamaguchi-san my name. I wonder how he knew it?"

"...Somehow, I'm not surprised at all," the doppelganger mumbled absentmindedly.


	7. Chapter 7: Chobit Request

**|Requested Chapter|**

_Hi, Big fan of The Baker's Daughter and Cooling Rack: Patience is a Virtue omake stories, Just want to ask that if you do take suggestions for possible omakes and if you do, can the next one be a Halloween omake story or a crossdress story like a maid cafe where Daiki wears an actual women's kimono for a school event. I can't wait till the next arc and what will happen in the future and if we will see future Daiki. Please continue to write awesome stories and just being awesome Sincerely_ **Chobits15.**

**...**

**L: Oh...**_**ohohohohohohohohohoho! **_**Imagine Ryohei and Daiki dressed as maids...Everyone's in their class wears the opposite! **_**Trap Cafe!**_

**P: I assume this is set in the typical cultural festival that every anime school must host?**

**L: Yus.**

**P: Coolios.**

**P: Also my prompt is based on the Extra series "Monster Tamer Tsuna" from the Anime, so if you didn't watch it you'll most likely don't get it. Sorry!**

* * *

**|DISCLAIMER|**

**This is not 'canon', and any and all things that happen in this one-shot thing have no impact on the main story of TB'sD**

* * *

**Trap Café!**

**Word Count: 6,891**

* * *

"Okay everyone," the Class President announced, standing before the blackboard with chalk in hand. "We need an idea for Namimori School Festival. It's our last year, so let's go big!"

"_Let's do an ultra-mega-super-scary haunted house!"_

"_What about a photo booth?"_

"_Takoyaki stand?"_

"_No, no, let's do karaoke!"_

In a single moment, a boy and a girl stood, the screech of their chairs sounding in unison as eyes were drawn to them immediately. Their faces were set in firm seriousness, concentration clear as they stared down the President upfront.

"Trap," the boy started.

"Cafe," the girl finished.

3-A went up in chaos.

"_Trap Cafe?!"_

"_Oh my God, yes!"_

"_Geniuses of our generation!"_

"So it's a unanimous vote?" the President asked, raising an eyebrow.

I couldn't help but sigh as my hand was grabbed and yanked into the air to join the others.

**. . .**

Ryohei grinned as we were handed two boxes, the things inside making me have phantom flashbacks to the past. The other students around us cackled blatantly and few had their phones away as my brother Sun and I sat on two chairs in the centre of the room and kicked off our shoes and opened the long boxes, revealing a pair of high heels on each.

"Dear God," I muttered, getting howls of humour from my classmates.

"C'mon, it'll be fun!" Ryohei laughed, slapping me on the back with a cringe-worthy _bang!_

"But I'm already tall enough!" I huffed, looking to the heels. "With these, I'll be 188 at least!"

"Oh, suck it up and put 'em on, Yamaguchi-kun!"

Across the room was a group of girls already prancing around in shoes that made our's look pathetic, getting a good kick out of watching Mochida lay on the floor in adamant refusal of standing in his pair of bright, hot pink stilts.

"C'mon Yamaguchi-kun, you can do it!" one girl called, her six-inch making me fear for her ankles as she spun precariously.

"I have seen the high heel tripping compilations!" Mochida cried, trying to plaster himself to the floor as he was grabbed by his stilettoed classmates. "I have a future which requires intact ankles!"

The class shouted with thick mirth and egged us on, cheering triumphantly as my brother and I squirmed our feet into the strappy death traps. I could immediately feel the impending pain that would come if I were to spend more than half an hour or so walking around in these shiny, black monsters, the teething seams of the straps already grating and pinching my skin.

"I'm already in pain!" I called out, getting a round of hysterical laughter from the girls.

Ryohei was the first to push himself to his feet, and subsequently the first to go stumbling into the crowd, arms grappling to catch the flailing boxer.

"Whoa, dude, you okay?" I laughed, slowly getting to my feet but refusing to release the back of my chair.

Oh dear God, this is worse than I remember.

"Yeah! Just a bit wobbly!" he hollered, pushing himself back upright.

"Ah, Yamaguchi-kun, would you like some help?"

I looked to the inquiry and smiled when I saw Kaito, his basketball jersey still draped over his frame, obviously dragged here without a chance to change. Atop his head was an unruly wig, showing that he was still in the fairly painful wig/hair extension process.

Ryohei and myself were both going to be subjected to the pulling, poking discomfort of cheap, dollar store hair extensions. The kind that you would use for dress up as a kid. My hair had been especially hard to find a match for and Shirosaki had been _this close_ to blowing a fuse.

"Thank you, Kaito-kun," I breathed, placing my hand on his lower shoulder as he helped me step away from my safety chair. "See Ryohei-kun, you gotta find yourself a gentleman!"

The Sun looked over his shoulder and made a loud noise of betrayal before waving over a boxing club member and grabbing him full force as his heels slipped. I laughed as I carefully walked past him, Kaito helping balance me when I rocked.

"Have fun with those stilts, bro!"

"You're rude!" he shouted, getting another round of laughter as he was pulled from the floor.

**. . .**

I squinted at the pile of material dropped onto my lap, my measurements having been taken and the suiting style of my request handed over. It was a normal maid's dress, the British-Japan spin-off kind, and was a simple white on black. It covered well, and would let me wear my binder.

"Okay, let's get you guys dressed so we can see if you need any alterations," Shirosaki scoffed, shoving Mochida and another boy into the sectioned off part of the classroom, a curtain acting as the door.

Ryohei laughed and pulled me along, his own maid outfit tossed over his shoulder as he raised his fist in excitement.

"I will be the most EXTREME maid!" he roared, immediately stripping down.

I huffed a laugh before undoing my belt and dropping it, reaching into the folds of my dress and pausing when I saw the sheer material fall.

"Stockings?!" I called over the curtain, "You expect us to wear stockings too?"

"Yes, thunder-thighs! See if you can squirm into 'em!"

"Try not to rip them, they're my sister's!"

I groaned and pressed a hand to my face, the other boys finding their own stockings, fishnet to patterned.

"Will these even go over my boxers?" Ryohei asked, one leg trapped in the material.

"Okay, let's get this over with," I sighed, "And Ryohei-kun, you're meant to put your feet in at the same time."

"Huh-Oh..."

"_Shit! It ripped!"_

**. . .**

I gripped the black material in an effort to filter my nerves as the girls surveyed us, my skirt brushing my ankles as I was pulled around to have the bow at my back adjusted. Hands found my hair and began fiddling with the clips that held in my extensions, long, synthetic strands falling to my elbows with a braid going down the centre of the curtain. My head hadn't felt this heavy before, and it felt like I needed to nod forwards to balance it out, but that only made the clip-on earrings tug at my lobes.

The darn fake pearls had caught in my hair three times now and it had felt like I had ripped myself a new one, one boy yanking his shirt off too fast and alerting three classrooms down with his screams. And these were the _clip ons, _God forbid he really get pierced.

"Daiki-kun, bro, look at me!"

I turned and jolted, eyes widening as I focused on my brother Sun with an astounded expression.

"Isn't she pretty!?" the appointed makeup artist of the event cooed, brushing a bit more highlight along the bridge of Ryohei's nose.

"Jesus Christ, bro, you kinda look like Kyoko-chan!" I laughed, snapping out of it as fake eyelashes blinked in an over-display of bashfulness. "Damn, Kikyo-san, this is awesome!"

"Why thank you," she grinned, looking over her canvas critically.

The powder had softened the harsh lines of Ryohei's face and made his eyes seem wider, lips and cheeks coming to become more pigmented. His eyebrows seemed to be tampered with, a glue stick no doubt playing a role in that. There seemed to be a light shadowing on his lids and eyeliner was painted on well.

"Is that gold eyeshadow?" I asked titling Ryohei's head down so I could see the shimmering covering better.

"We're going all out for our final year, my boys. Sasagawa-kun's scheme is mostly golds and yellows. Yours is going to be blues and golds," she hummed, showing me a spreadsheet with names and pallets. "I can't wait to do you, you'll be a lot easier, but there's so much I can go for!"

"I look forward to it," I smiled, before scrambling to catch Ryohei when his heels failed him.

**. . .**

A blanket was placed over my body as I was pushed onto a chair, Kikyo already pointing her brush at me as she eyed my face, a frown set on her lips as she hummed to herself. Her helpers pet me on the shoulders before pulling my hair out of the way, the long thing coming to be held between my back and the chair.

"Okay, I've got an idea. This may take a while, so... Don't. You. _Move._"

"...Yes ma'am," I muttered.

"Good, close your eyes."

Doing as I was told, I held back a flinch as a kind of cream was placed on my face, cold at first but then warming as it was spread out. Brushes, powder and creams came onto my face with layers upon layers, but the nature of it was quite calming.

"And we're done, ready to take a look at yourself?"

I blinked my eyes open before sitting up and nodding at the girl. She smiled before calling for a mirror, excitedly holding it before me. My stance jolted, a weird knocking coming to my heart as I viewed the covering.

"I went for a more formal look with you, compared to Sasagawa-kun's casual style," the makeup artist explained, coming up beside me in the mirror, using the end of her brush to point things out. "Matte seems to work well with you, and I had been waiting for a chance to use some of them."

She pointed to the blending of gold and blue on my eyelid, making me fear she would poke me in the eye, however, her spacial awareness seemed to show through.

"I had been hoping to make a more Egyptian-eske look to your makeup seeing as you were gold and blue, but Shirosaki-san wanted it to be subtle for the cafe. I'll get to use it for you later in the costume dance though, so it's fine."

"Wait, the dance?" I yelped, looking over my shoulder at the girl.

"Yeah- oh, you guys weren't told yet. We're all going to dress up for the dance tonight! Hibari-san is finally letting it happen! It'll be so fun, you'll let me, right?"

I took a breath as she pleaded, her eyes going big and shiny as she held her hands together, a slight pout coming to her lips.

"I've planned your outfit and everything! Sasagawa-kun's doing it too! He's an Olympian!"

"I...Fine."

"Thank you!"

**. . .**

I helped Ryohei to push the last sign up against the wall for it to dry, the designs coiling and elegant in white on grey designs.

"Trap Cafe, be ensnared," I read, tilting my head sideways to decipher the words.

"AN EXTREME JOB GUYS!" Ryohei roared, making the tired kids jump. "BE EXTREMELY PUMPED FOR TOMORROW!"

"Yeah! Everyone get a good rest and come in early, we have a lot to do with set up and costumes," Kikyo nodded, getting agreement from the class.

I smiled as we began gathering our stuff, bag slung over my shoulder as I walked out, brother hot on my heels.

"Yamaguchi-kun!" Pausing, I turned to the call. "Remember to tell Yamamoto-san the rules!"

"Yeah, got it!" I called, waving my hand at the girl.

She nodded before ducking back in, Ryohei clapping me on the shoulder as we continued on.

"He's not going to like it," I laughed, joining the masses.

"He's really not," the Sun agreed, knowing the reaction impending.

I snickered as we exited the scurrying group, lingering by the gate as we waited for the others, Takeshi coming home with me tonight.

The rules that had been put in place was for the whole cafe's benefit, and others were in similar situations as myself. We had to alert our partners that, if they decided to visit us, they weren't to touch us in any manner. It was to avoid confusion with the other customers, and just to remove a hazard in total. I had been reminded especially, the clingy habits of the young Rain a commonly known thing in Nami-chuu.

"Daiki-kun!"

I stumbled as arms were wrapped around me, a face shoved into my shoulder. A laugh left me as I nuzzled his dark hair in greeting, enjoying the little coo that left him as he pressed a kiss on my cheek.

"Hello love, your class just about ready?" I hummed, placing a hand on his waist.

"Yup! We're doing a haunted house!" he cheered, soon joined by his two friends. "Tsuna-san's a warlock, Gokudera-kun's a werecat, and I'm a zombie!"

"That sounds like fun, I'll be sure to come and see how effective you are."

"EXTREMELY!" Ryohei roared, making Tsuna cower in fright.

"W-" The Sky cleared his throat to fix his pitch. "What is your class doing, Yamaguchi-san, onii-san?"

"WE'RE DOING AND EXTREME TRAP CAFE!"

…

"Trap," Gokudera started.

"Cafe?" Tsuna ended, tilting his head.

"What does that mean?" Takeshi asked, looking between my brother and I.

"What does 'trap' mean in otaku culture?" I responded, looking down at him.

"Trap means guys that look a lot like...girls," he answered, eyes widening slightly.

"Good, now, mix that with cafe. And tell me what you get."

I smiled as I saw their faces redden, eyes growing as their jaws slackened. The two across from me began spluttering, the arms that encompassed my waist constricting to squeeze my sides.

"You and turf-top are going to dress up as _girls!?" _Gokudera choked.

"As EXTREME MAIDS!"

I laughed as another round of heaving took the two before looking down at my partner, smiling when I found him dazed and out of it, a faraway look in his eyes as his mind went rampant with the information given to him. A hum escaped me as I carefully carded his hair, seeing a small smudge of green-grey face pain in the shell of his ear. As I gently rubbed it away with my thumb, I felt him press up against me, gripping the back of my shirt.

"I wanna see it. I wanna see you." Takeshi uttered, making me looked to his eyes and smile.

"And I'd be happy if you did," I sighed, before proceeding to drop that little bomb on him. "But cafe rules say you can't touch any of the staff."

"Huh, why not!?" he whined, "I'm gonna wanna kiss you so much!"

"It's to avoid any hazards, love," I explained gently. "If I were to say, kiss you for a picture, a customer may want me to do the same to them, and get mad when I don't."

As I spoke, the blunt bite of nails began in my side, a darker shade coming to mocha eyes as they looked up at me. I sighed at him before pinching his thigh, making him jump.

"Calm down, love. There's no reason to be upset because it's not going to happen. There are rules."

He made a noise of surprise, before it lowered into one of begrudged acceptance, a frown coming to his face even as he nodded and nuzzled my clavicle.

"Okay...I won't touch you when you're in uniform."

"It's fine though, isn't it? Cause," I smiled and kissed the corner of his jaw. "You have me tonight, yeah?"

"Uh-huh. And with _that,_ I am out," Gokudera huffed, grasping the wrist of his Boss and towing them away.

"Bye-bye Gokudera-kun, Tsuna-san! See you tomorrow!"

I waved at them before looking to my own friend, seeing him talk rapid fire to the smaller Sasagawa, Kyoko having appeared just as the others left.

"Well, Takeshi-kun and I better go. See you tomorrow, yeah?"

"EXTREMELY!"

"See you tomorrow, have fun!" Kyoko giggled, snagging her brother and dragging him as I began to guide my own partner.

**. . .**

"Hurry up, hurry up! Are you boys really not done getting your costumes on!?"

"Why aren't the tables set yet!? Shirosaki-san, they're all out of order!"

"The signs aren't up yet!"

I gritted my teeth against the rising stress as I helped Kikyo pin the extensions in place, her hands gently tugging the braid into existence. Her teeth were lined with pins and elastic as she rushed between boys and girls, helping them suit up for the day.

There was a loud crash as Ryohei hit the floor, his heels strewn about as he lay face first in the carpet that had been brought in.

"Sasagawa-kun! Get the _fuck _up!"

I rolled my eyes and pushed myself off the chair, another maid filling it with their wig on hand. Sitting by the window, I squirmed my feet into the strappy death traps and tapped them to comfort, the first steps shaky as ever.

"Yamaguchi-kun, you remember your Maiden Name?" Kaito asked, coming over and handing me my clip on earrings.

"Ah, thank you," I muttered, pinching them into place. "Chi-chan, right?"

"Yep, Chi-chan. You think you can respond to that in time? I'm not sure I'll be able to get used to Kai-chan."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," I smiled, before calling over my shoulder. "Oi, Sa-chan, you ready?!"

"EXTREMELY!" my now sister roared, pulling his face out of the carpet.

"_Is everyone ready?"_

"_We have five minutes!"_

"_Quickly! Quickly!"_

"_Final checks!"_

Everyone took a collective breath a the clock turned the hour, and the Namimori Middle School Festival began.

**. . .**

"I don't know why they were so riled up," I hummed, balancing a tray with a selection of milkshakes. "It's only the pupil day, you'd think they'd be more worried about tomorrow."

"We're trying to EXTREMELY impress the rest of our school, Chi-chan!" Ryohei laughed, menu tucked under his arm. "We're setting the bar for the other years!"

"I suppose so." Came my light response, a smile coming to my expression when I saw how much the boy was enjoying himself, always one to jump out of the comfort zone.

"Sa-chan, we need you again!" One of the suited girls called from within the cafe, pulling us from our conversation.

"Coming, To-kun!" he answered, clapping me on the shoulder as he ran off, knee-length skirt bouncing with every step.

I watched after the boy fondly, shaking my head when he grinned full blast and made a few of our patrons question their orientation. My attention was grabbed as the last of the drinks were placed on my tray and I was ushered back out of the room, heels muffled by the carpet as I moved around the room, not entirely used to the swishy nature of the skirt.

"Ah, thank you!"

"You're very welcome," I smiled, bowing as I was instructed before moving off.

It was actually very fun to do this, to see new students come in, pause and double-take when they realised just who was playing who in our little trap cafe. The few spluttering and others bursting into laughter and cheers, going on to enjoy the sideways place and waiting for more to come and experience the same thing.

"Daiki-senp-_AI!?_"

I blinked and turned, before letting out a laugh, my head inclining to the shell shocked mouse standing frozen in the doorway.

"Good morning, Jun-kun," I hummed clear, bringing my hands to the sides of my skirt and bending my knees.

"Y-you're-"

"Would you like to take a seat?" I asked, humour layering my tone.

"I..I think so." Jun breathed, accepting the gloved hand of one of the butlers as he was guided over unsteadily.

"I'll go get you a drink, would you like anything specific?" the trap butler asked, still not releasing the mouse's hand, charm on full blast.

"U-uh, just water, t-thanks," he squeaked, face full red.

We nodded together before abandoning the table to collect the order, a call leaving me to signal to those on kitchen duty the details.

"Gah, Hayashi-san just so precious!" the girl gushed to me, fixing her tray with the laced handkerchief and carefully balancing the single glass of water. "I want one, too! Damn you, Chi-chan, you get all the good ones!"

I gave huffed laughter and shrugged, feeling the extensions bob on my shoulders at the action.

"What can I say, I'm a lucky girl."

She rolled her eyes but nodded in agreement before sauntering over, dialling up the shotacon shine as she did, drawing eyes from around the room. A laugh bubbled out of staff, coos joining it as he sipped away at the glass, little hands cradling the thing carefully as his cheeks kept his hue.

"Hm...I wonder what Jun-kun would look like if he were to dress in a maid outfit?" I hummed to myself, choosing to ignore the gleam that shined in select staff's eyes.

**. . .**

As we packed away the store, I glanced over my shoulder with a bit of confusion, wondering at the lack of a certain Vongola party, not having caught even a glance of the trio at any point in the day despite Takeshi's apparent enthusiasm for the setup 3-A had going on. Pursing my lips a bit, I shrugged, deciding that they were busy, after all, Kyoko hadn't come in either.

Shame, really. I had been looking forward to their reactions.

**. . .**

"Good morning, sir," I smiled, bowing at the waist as another patron walked in.

"My, this is one of the better ones that I've seen this year! Your class must be really into it, little miss!" he laughed, allowing me to guide him to a table.

"Yes sir," Came my affirmation, a gentle incline of the head making my hair sway and the pins pull. "This is our last year at Nami-chuu, we wanted to set a standard for the years below us."

"Ah, wonderful, wonderful! Though, I may ask: what exactly _is _a 'trap cafe'?" he asked, placing the menu down.

My eyes became crescents as the question came, a humour rising in my head as the rest of the staff tuned in, matching looks of conspiratorial glee.

"Of course you may sir, allow me to explain."

On the mark, two members came up from behind me, a maid and a butler on either side, mirrored looks of pleasant service on their faces as they bowed.

"Cafe refers to a small restaurant selling light meals and drinks," the butler smiled a bit wider before placing down his order, the hot beverage steaming nicely for him.

"Whereas 'trap' refers to when the gender of a character in an anime and/or manga appears to be that of a female but in actuality the character is male."

The maid bowed, laughing in a voice that did not at all match their appearance. The customer sat stunned for a moment, before bursting out into laughter, hands coming to clap as he continued.

"Well done, Namimori Middle, well done!"

We smiled and bowed before scurrying away to return to our tasks, pleased with the results.

**. . .**

"We're sorry, but you can't touch the staff. We're going to have to ask you to leave."

Ryohei and I shared a glance, seeing the first kick-out of the day. We had heard of a similar incident just the floor below in the photo-booth store. A group of boys from a different school had been trying to bend one of the chosen models over his lap for one of the pictures despite being expressly told the rules and guidelines for the stall, and had been subsequently escorted out by one of the karate club attending students.

"Guess they decided to come here, hey," I sighed to my brother, seeing him frown.

"Should we help?" he asked, coming over closer to also peer around the side of the curtain.

"Not just yet, it looks like the girls have it under control."

"Hm," the Sun nodded, but lingered just as I did, broadening his shoulders as well as he could in the outfit.

**. . .**

A jocund chorus of thank yous rung out from the group of girls as we stood up from the posed picture, Mochida blushing furiously as he clutched his skirt, prompting coos from his 'favourite'.

"Always welcome, miss," I hummed, gently taking the group coupon from one of them and handing it off to Shirosaki to store away for another customer.

"Please come again!" Mochida and I synchronised, bowing together as they fled the scene with a polaroid.

"_You gotta smile more, Mo-chan!"_

"_Nah man, he's the tsundere type!"_

"You a-"

"Now, now, Mo-chan, remember the agreement," I hummed, yanking him back by the wrist and getting rather close to him. "I won the match, you're to be obedient."

"..." he scowled and huffed before tearing himself free and storming into the kitchen, leaving behind a store quite pleased by the fan-serviced just slipped to them.

**. . .**

Wiping down a table, I hummed to myself in a low note, following the light melody that floated around the little make-shift cafe. There was a momentary lull in the customers, it being just a bit after lunch where we piqued, and only two-thirds of the tables were taken, leaving room for maids and butlers alike to begin fixing up the face of the store.

Quickly rearranging the flowers in the small vase, I smiled gently at the lovely aroma, before jolting as my alias was called.

"Chi-chan, come seat these sirs, please!"

"Coming," I responded quickly, striding over with my hands folded nicely before me.

Closing my eyes and making my face pleasant, I smiled before bowing at the waist yet again, letting the memorised line escape me.

"Good afternoon, sirs."

My throat closed, but I managed to get the sentence out before it could wrangle it, lips coming to seal tightly to avoid the grin that threatened when I saw the Vongola trio looking ready to drop. They looked like they had come straight from their activity, still outfitted in their 'spooky' gear and facepaints.

"I'll take you to your seats, if you'd follow me," I continued, gently urging with my hand in a delicate curl.

The way they stumbled forwards slightly made me want to cackle, but I hid it well and signalled subtly for Ryohei to be called out from the kitchen duty. Pulling out each of their chairs, I smiled as they flopped, or dropped stiffly, still thoroughly dazed.

"Please take your time to think about your order, summon me when you're ready."

I prepared to move but paused when I saw Takeshi raise his hand, the limb stuttering to a halt, showing he had remembered the rules. Giving a low hum, I moved back over to the table, deciding to give a small mercy and simply spend a bit more time with them.

"So, how's the haunted house doing?"

"It's doing fine," Gokudera scowled, fake fangs making a faint lisp, cheeks a bright red and standing against drawn on whiskers.

"T-they didn't find me very scary," Tsuna laughed pathetically, rubbing the back of his head. "They just kept calling me '_Mario'_."

I tilted my head, extensions falling over my shoulder as I did, looking at him critically. Yeah, I see the Mario. My vocalisation of this made him flush a bit as he laughed again, agreeing with me as he shrugged.

"You look really pretty, though, Yamaguchi-san! I would have easily mistaken you for a girl!" the small fish smiled, his awe obvious.

"Why thank you," I hummed, before feeling an ever so faint prod at my foot. "Ki-kun does his best."

Gokudera scowled firmer as he cast his eyes around the room, before choking on his own saliva.

"Is that the _turf top!?"_

"Ah," I laughed, feeling to bump again, and this time, pressed my heel against Takeshi's ankle to show that I knew. "Sa-chan, come here, please!"

"EXTREMELY coming, Chi-chan!" he hollered, getting a round of laughs from a startled group. "Hey, it's you guys! Welcome to the cafe! How do you like it?!"

"Sa-chan, tone it down," I hushed gently, getting him to laugh sheepishly.

"Sorry, sorry. We were wondering where you were yesterday. You never showed up!"

As he spoke to the other two of the group, his eyes dropped to the ground allowing him to see the way Takeshi's and my foot were practically on top of each other. The Rain himself was being very well behaved, if not a bit quiet, his hands firmly planted on the table cloth as if they were not trusted to wander anywhere out of eyesight. Probably weren't.

I tuned into Ryohei's enthusiastic yapping as I placed my palm on the table, leaning on it to relax myself a tad as well as invite a bit more contact from the stiff boy. He was quick to respond, carefully intertwining our pinkies, but leaning back still.

"I want to hug you, but I still want to be able to see you," he muttered, tightening his grip for a second.

I hummed low at that, careful not to meet his eyes in case the fragile control he had were to waver.

**. . .**

"I saw that touching, Yamaguchi-kun." Kikyo huffed, crossing her arms at me as I returned to the kitchen.

"Yeah, sorry," I admitted, rubbing the back of my neck.

She sighed and shook her head before pulling the camera from the table giving it a once over before handing off the crew.

"Yamamoto-san has bought a photo voucher, you can guess who he asked for. Touching is allowed in this- with regulation."

I smiled with a bit too much vigour before nodding and moving off the set, Takeshi already standing by the tripod with a hue on his cheeks. Our eyes met for the first time that day and an explosion of colour took his face, hand coming to clench on his rubber axe for restraint.

"Do you know what kind of pose you want to do? There are only two pictures," I asked, getting a hesitant shake of the head as a small smile came to his face.

"You can choose, shujin-kun," he laughed airily.

My lips pulled at his state, and I nodded in understanding before looking at the props, an idea coming to mind when I saw the chair tucked in the corner. Telling him to go hand over his coupon, I quickly retrieved the chair and placed it in the centre of the setting, white drop sheet background working well to reflect the lighting.

"Okay, Chi-chan, ready when you are."

"Come here, Takeshi-kun," I called, urging him over. "Do you want to stand or sit?"

"I'll stand," he answered, before allowing me to move him just behind the chair, a little to the right.

Arranging my skirt as I sat down, I looked over my shoulder and began instructing him, a hand to be tucked behind him and his left on my shoulder. Reaching up, I covered the hand with my own, gently caressing the fingers and tilting my head to lean into the touch.

"Ready when you are," I sighed, letting a calm smile take my face as I felt Takeshi squeeze my shoulder.

_Click!_

"Haha, a zombie and a maid, that's going to confuse so many people who see this picture!" the developer laughed, shaking the polaroid as the next was set.

"Less formal now?" I asked, getting up and removing the chair. "Still no ideas?"

"Well, I have a few, but we can't do them." Takeshi pouted, prompting a laugh from me.

"Aw, don't make that face, my love," I cooed, cupping his cheeks and drawing him close purely from habit.

Our noses bumped from the proximity, making us give matching grins and crescent eyes that gleamed with laughter and happiness as I continued to squish his zombie painted face, mocha eyes glazed over with an emotion that made my heart fumble.

_Click!_

"Chi-chan, please," Kikyo uttered, snapping me out of habit and forcing me to step back.

I smiled apologetically at both Takeshi and the girl, getting a bit of a laugh out of the attending staff as she came up and wiped greenish-grey body paint off the tip of my nose. A quick touch up later and Takeshi was in possession of both photos, his happy glow making me sigh from across the room.

"Come on, love-sick. Let's get back to work."

**. . .**

"Yahoo!"

I laughed as Ryohei and I bumped shoulders, the café cleared away for the final time and the school free of outsiders. The day was just about wrapped up, with only the bonfire and dance waiting to commence in only a bit more than an hour, causing our private celebrations to be a bit fast-forwarded in order to allow Kikyo her fun.

"Sasagawa-kun, you get your costume on, I'll do your makeup later. Yamaguchi-kun, you're with me."

I nodded and followed the makeup artist back to the chair, my maid outfit forgone for a normal set of civies. Closing my eyes as I did before, I allowed her to fiddle with my face, aware of the people bustling around at a much more leisurely pace than before. There was the faint sound of material begin dropped before the woman let me sit up, face once again heavy with product.

"Oka- oh my God, I'm a genius," she gasped. "Get your clothes on, I wanna take a picture for my compendium later!"

Blinking in a momentary stupor, I nodded before grabbing the mass of blue and gold, feeling hard pieces within the cloth. Treading over to the changing room, I muttered to myself, before pausing.

Oh, fucks.

"You want me to wear _this!?" _I yelped, seeing the slit that rode far up my thigh. "I'm not even sure that would allow me to wear my boxers!"

"Put it on, Daiki-kun!"

"Yeah, put it on, Yamaguchi-kun!"

"Fuck you!" I snapped back.

Wincing, I stripped myself quickly in the vacant space and pulled my boxers as high as they could go before pulling on the 'skirt', feeling the material flutter around my legs in a flowy nature. Glancing around, I quickly stole off my undershirt before grabbing up the top of the costume, worry biting at my mind when I saw how scanty it was. Nonetheless, however, it did manage to cover my binder, though only barely, leaving my midsection and arms open to the cooling air.

Biting my lip, I began clamping on accessories, golden braces clicking into place on my wrists and biceps, a collar of gold and plastic rhinestones hitting my clavicle as a twin clasped my hips as a belt.

"I don't know how to feel about this!" I yelled over the curtain.

"Come out and let us see!"

Let someone see me in _thi-_

"_No!" _

"Yes!"

"Please, bro!? Think about how EXTREMELY impressed Takeshi-kun's gonna be!"

"I can impress him other ways!" I grunted, before curling in on myself, covering my exposed midriff as the curtains were pulled aside and eyes peered in.

"Bro, you look EXTREME!"

"I can't wear this in public!" I pressed, alarmed as he began to pull me from the safety of the change room.

"The Egyptians did!" he laughed.

"I don't think this is a historically correct design!"

"_Oh. My. God."_

"_Gaze upon God's gift to man and woman alike!"_

"_Damn son!"_

"Should we take the extensions out? Does it go with the outfit?" Kikyo asked, circling me with the eyes of a critic. "Hm...No, we'll leave it. Just take out the middle braid."

A girl split from the crowd and undid the length of manipulated strands. Snapping the elastic around her wrist before melding back into the masses.

"I-"

"You're wearing it, Yamaguchi-kun," Kikyo decided, making me sag.

**. . .**

"He's going to freak."

"And not in the good way," I sighed, walking alongside my now Olympian brother, his whites and golds clinging proudly to his flesh, gold powder dusted on the swells of his shoulders and cheeks.

"Oh, please bro, Takeshi-kun will be EXTREMELY PUMPED when he sees you!"

"Oh, he'll be pumped alright," Someone snickered, the rest of the class set up in their own gear and style, history seemingly our theme with medievals and ancients swarming.

An Ottoman huffed before striking the lewd girl over the back of her head, scolding her about such innuendos, only to fall victim to the girl himself.

Rolling my eyes at their nature, I let Ryohei grab me by the hand and drag me towards the pier of writhing fire with glee, his roar of enthusiasm infecting my own mood. With a smile, I started moving with him, the royal blue garment swirling around in an entrancing way as I spun on my toes, the sandals scratching against the earth of the sports field. The music played loud along with the crackling bonfire, laughter ringing out in the night as Namimori's celebration fell into full swing.

The golds on Ryohei and I flashed with fire as we moved to a wrangled, volatile rhythm, but fell into a familiar synchronized step, just as we did when opposing each other in conflict. We moved and danced, unsure of who was following who, but both of us foregoing the beat of music for the crackle-pop-snap of the flame.

Flashing a smile that got reflected in a jocund face, I came to halt just as my brother bumped my hip with his own, both of us panting and high with the mood. Our skins shone with perspiration and firelight, gold dusting dripping down our arms in little rivers of the Rush.

Earthly eyes glanced off to the side before Ryohei's grin stretched further, if possible, and he jerked his head in the direction.

"Your boy's there."

Blinking, I looked to the signal and hitched my breath, finally feeling my skin burn under the intense attention. Takeshi pressed his lips tight from just a few paces away, his friends at his side, but his attention rather centred on a different focus. The yukata hung and clung to his frame well and made me quick to divert my gaze or risk a rather unfortunate public display.

"I think we should keep dancing, Daiki-kun," Ryohei muttered, a look on his face that I knew well.

"You want to bait him."

"It's called 'giving a show', brother," he shrugged, lips curling and provoking mine to follow.

I laughed low before sliding my feet across the ground, and raising my arms, the Sun across from me stretching his limbs wide before we began again, this time preening like peacocks and overdoing just about everything, glances of conspiratorial humour being shared between fast spins. The gold hugging our wrists clashed at one point in a rather vigorous twirl and we burst out into laughter from the jolt, purposefully tempting fate and stepping into each other's space, materials of blue and white brushing up against each other as we writhed in a somehow aesthetically pleasing way.

"Got 'em," Ryohei laughed, just before I was grabbed from behind and wrapped into a bone-crushing hug.

A choked chuckle leaked out of my throat as hands pressed to my midriff, having pebbled with goosebumps from the cooled wind despite the heat of the atmosphere from both the pillar of fire and the intensity of the dance. Takeshi pressed his face into the back of my neck and inhaled deeply, my own hands coming to carefully unravel his grip and allow me to turn and wrap my arms around his waist.

"Hello to you too, my love," I sighed into his ear, getting him to pierce my sides with his nails.

"You did that on purpose," he muttered, drawing his face out of my chest and looking up at me, taking in the Egyptian inspired makeup. "You're so beautiful."

I couldn't even fight the blush that stole my face, a smile coming to my lips before they were sealed over with the other's, loud hoots and whistles sounding from across the field.

"Dance with me, love, c'mon."

The loud shouts of Kurokawa Hana being manhandled into dancing with the two Sasagawa siblings rung out as our rhythm found its feet again, Takeshi careful to never release his hold on me as I moved us around. The slit of my skirt billowed and brushed across the Rain's shins, his traditional wear loosening from the frequent movement, more and more of the plains of his chest being exposed with each of my strategic instructions.

As the song ended and another kicked up, I allowed for the younger to cease my mobility, hands grasping my biceps as he grinned up at me, face bright with red and emotion. Seeing the open expression, I reflected it freely before grasping his face in my hands and swooped down, pressing our lips together for as long as our biologies could grant. When I pulled away, I felt the surge of pride come, the golden lipstick that shone on his vermillion pair marking him as mine.

"I take it you like what I've been wearing today?" I hummed, still cradling his dazed face.

"Very much, shujin-kun," he sighed, slumping against me heavily.

"That's wonderful." Came my breath, eyes softening. "You're wonderful."

I could only hope that extended further, but for now...

Takeshi nuzzled me happily, getting glitter on the bridge of his nose like celestial freckles and making me laugh at the face he pulled as the dazzling lights reflected into his eyes.

I'll just enjoy the night, and I doubt these boys will make it hard at all.


	8. Chapter 8: Movie Date

**|Movie Date!|**

**Self-Indulgent Fluff, Not Gonna Lie**

**P: It is the only kind of fluff that compels us to write.  
We sit our behinds down and ready our hands,  
As we type away the images of fantasy lands.  
There may be adventure, there might be betrayal,**

**But when the Angst is enough- we answer the prayer.**

**We wrench our evil writer's hearts of sappy lines,  
Character changes, Smiles so fine,  
That is makes your pitch go really high-**

**Until we find some other way to make you cry.**

**P: …**

**P: I am inordinately proud of my poem.**

**P: Lenori approved, and written- y'all know the drill.**

**L: I am self-indulgent trash. :)**

**P: This is the secret to becoming a good writer.**

**P: Be a self-indulgent trash with a keyboard.**

* * *

**Word Count: 2,482**

* * *

_Bzzt! Bzzt!_

_From: Favourite Stalker  
Daiki! Where you at?!_

_To: Favourite Stalker  
Watanabe Compound, why?_

_From: Favourite Stalker  
Eh!? You're at your Yakuza place again? I thought I could finally snag you for a day! T^T_

_To: Favourite Stalker  
Sorry sweetheart but they're trying to get me integrated and familiar with both the workings and my family._

_From: Favourite Stalker  
I know, but STILL! I wanna cuddle with my husband! _

_ಠ╭╮ಠ_

_From: Favourite Stalker  
We're going on a date next weekend! That settles it!_

_To: Favourite Stalker  
Okay, okay._

_To: Favourite Stalker  
Where to? Anywhere in mind?_

_From: Favourite Stalker  
Hm...Bath house? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)_

_To: Favourite Stalker  
Nice try, close but no cigar._

_From: Favourite Stalker  
Aw man! Daiki, please?!_

_To: Favourite Stalker  
Nope. Next idea!_

_From: Favourite Stalker  
=3= I'll see your glory one day Daiki, I swear on it!_

_To: Favourite Stalker  
I'm sure you will, love. _

_From: Favourite Stalker  
Do you wanna watch a movie then? I can really awkwardly put my arm over your shoulder while pretending to yawn if we do._

_To: Favourite Stalker  
Movie sounds good. What genre?_

_From: Favourite Stalker  
RomCom!_

**. . .**

Namimori Centre was as loud as ever on a Saturday, people from every age group bustling around as laughter, hollars and chatter rung out in the large space. I snorted as I read an article on my phone, gifs of flailing baby platypi showing between blocks of text.

"Daiki-kun!"

I let out a laugh as arms wrapped around me from behind, quick kisses dropped on my cheek, uncaring about the eyes watching us from around the food court. Giving a smile, I tilted my head back and pressed my lips to the tip of Takeshi's nose, loving the way he scrunched it up and giggled childishly.

"Hey love," I hummed, letting him go as he walked around the little table I had grabbed, sitting across from me with a grin. "You're rather late today."

"Sorry, I got caught up with a bunch of girls asking for directions!"

"Oh?"

"Yeah! They really liked touching though."

I paused my clicking and looked at him, eyes narrowed as a frown began to form on my face. Reaching across the table, I wove my fingers with his and huffed at his laugh, the other boy knowing full well what he had just caused.

"No," I muttered, "Mine."

Takeshi gave a loud snicker before pressing the back of my hand to his cheek, grinning all the way as I pretty much just pouted at him. He smiled before giving my hand a kiss and nuzzling it, my frown twitching into a smile despite my efforts.

"So, ready for the movie?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'll pay for both of us. You go and get the snacks?"

"Mhm!"

We parted ways and I stepped to the line of the register, the cue pretty fast-moving for a Saturday morning. It didn't take long for my turn to come and I smiled at the poor teen standing behind the counter, the gleam in her eye practised and we shared a knowing nod. Customer Service.

"Hello, how can I help you?"

Picking out the movie on the board, I laughed, feeling eyes on me for being a boy asking for such a title.

"Oh? Is your girlfriend coming?" she chuckled, tapping the screen to get the printout.

"He's around here somewhere," I shrugged, the girl taking it in stride as she laughed her mistake off.

"Sorry, sorry. Enjoy the movie."

"No problem, thank you."

With the two tickets in hand, I loitered around the theatre's entrance for a bit before my shoulder was promptly headbutted, making me look and see the younger boy balancing his prizes with an excited grin.

"Are you sure you're going to be able to eat all that?" I asked, taking some of it off his hands.

"Don't underestimate a Yamamoto's stomach, shujin-kun, it is an insult of the highest calibre," Takeshi warned gravely, looking me right in the eye over his small hill of food.

"Oh, how rude of me, my apologies."

"I'll let it slide this time because you didn't know," he huffed, "But in exchange I demand a kiss."

"I suppose I have no choice...but let's do that inside, I don't think I can reach you over that," I laughed, making him pout loudly but push us to move faster.

We found our seats relatively quickly, being one of the first people in the cinema. Takeshi organised his food in a manner that I didn't understand before leaning on me heavily, grinning in the low light expectantly. He nudged me when I didn't notice, making me start and turn to him, a low laugh coming when I saw the impatient expression on his face.

"Yeah, yeah," I hummed, before leaning over and sealing my lips against his.

He made a noise of happiness before burying his nose into my neck, our fingers interlocking on top of our shared armrest. A smile forced itself onto my face as I leant my cheek on the top of his head, rubbing the side of his hand absently with my thumb.

**. . .**

"Haha, that was fun!"

"You whacked me upside the head when you tried to put your arm around my shoulders though."

Takeshi pressed his pout into my cheek as we walked out the cinema, quick to pull my arm around his shoulders and hold the dangling hand in his own.

"It was an accident! I apologised! I even kissed it better!" he whined, pecking my cheek three times with each exclamation.

"But the movie was good yeah? The scenes were funny!"

"Mhm, there was common sense too!" I joined, leading us into the open.

"Daiki-kun, you're always so focused on sense! When we watched Mean Girls with the others, you got so angry!" he laughed.

"All of that could have been avoided if _anyone of them _had practiced common sense!"

"But then there wouldn't be a plot!"

I sighed loudly and hugged my partner closer as he cackled at my fury, already well used to my loud dislike for those kinds of films. He had made me watch things like that just so he could watch my reaction, having made a tally of how many times I had face palmed or cringed in second hand embarrassment.

"Do you wanna get ice cream?" the Rain asked, wrapping his arm around my waist and stationing his hand on my hip.

"You're trying to distract me," I huffed, narrowing my eyes at him.

"Maybe~!" he cooed, kissing my jaw. "Is it working?"

"I'm honestly surprised that you can fit anything else in your gut,"

"Remember what I told you," Takeshi hummed as we spotted a small gelato store.

"Yeah, never underestimate a Yamamoto's stomach," I laughed. "Hang on here, I'll go get it. You want vanilla, yeah?"

"You know me well," he smiled, accepting the kiss planted on him quickly.

"Be right back, don't get into trouble."

* * *

**|Y.T|**

The young Yamamoto boy kicked his feet idly as he waited for his fiancé on a bench, he clicked through his phone, smiling when he saw a remainder from his father to text him first if he decides to crash at Daiki's house.

"_Oi, you."_

He paused, before looking up to see a small team of teens scowling at him. The Rain blinked before smiling, remembering that his partner would be back soon enough.

"Hi, can I help you?"

"Yeah, come with us for a sec," the one in the centre huffed, crooking a finger at him.

"Ah, sorry, I'm waiting for someone. Can it be done here?" he laughed, rubbing the nape of his neck.

"No," Another decided, grabbing him by his jacket and yanking him onto his feet.

"Whoa!"

Takeshi stumbled but managed to keep his feet as he was shoved into an alley, a hum of confusion leaving him as he looked around, seeing old indie band flyers and graffiti. The Rain turned and faced the group blocking his way, the few having rallied their troops and grown in number by quite a bit.

"Um, can I ask what's going on?" he asked, glancing to each face.

"We saw you and your _boyfriend_."

"Yeah, we're on a date! We just came back from the movies!"

There was a ripple of tension in the group, teeth coming to grit and bare at him. A few cracked their knuckles, and one spat off to the side, Takeshi frowning when he remembered how much Daiki disliked spitting- or just bodily fluids in total, actually.

"_Yo, why're we attacking this one?"_

"_You know how the yaoi thing works yeah? The uke's always shit weak and cries a lot."_

"_Yeah, but how do we know he's the...what's it called again?"_

"_Uke, dude. And cause he's the smaller one!"_

"Huh, why are you talking about seme-uke dynamics? Are you yaoi fans?" he laughed, though his hands became fists behind his back.

He had a good idea of where this was going, though, it wasn't often something like this would happen. Namimori was a town that was pretty good at turning a blind eye to just about everything. Whether it be explosions or same-sex couples, it just slipped under their radar or they never pointed it out. When it did get pointed out, however rare that was, it was usually by less than pleasant folk like these.

"No, we're really _not _fans," the centre man denied, medical mask covering his nose and mouth.

"Oh," Takeshi uttered, working to keep his face jocund and open. "Well, to each their own. I do suppose most yaoi manga are a bit sketchy when it comes to the whole consent thing."

A couple of the guys glanced at each other, his blase attitude throwing the atmosphere off and toning down their macho.

"Dude, look, you should stop dating that guy. It's not natural!" One sighed after a bit.

The Rain blinked, a spark of agitation going of in the far reaches of his mind.

"Not natural? But this sort of thing has happened in nature too!" he laughed, "There are two vulture dads who have adopted a baby chick!"

"Wait, what?"

"Yeah, it's actually pretty common! Daiki-kun told me about it! It was in the Netherlands, I think."

Daiki had no idea how giddy that article had made him, not in a complete sense. He knew that Takeshi found it cute and such, but he didn't understand how hard it had hit him. The Sun had let his partner sit in his lap while he scrolled through as many articles as possible about it, reading the English ones for him when he ran out of the translated.

"Yeah, but they're animals! We're not animals!"

"Well, technically..." One of his own men muttered, only to get smacked upside the head.

"Shut up! Beat his ass!"

"...The non-kinkey way, yeah?"

Takeshi laughed at his comment, kind of liking that one awkward thug's style. His smile didn't slips as he wove around clumsy fists and legs, tripping over men and boys into the gritty concrete. Dipping his head, he moved out of the way of a punch and slammed his own into a crunching nose.

The Rain shook his hand out as he surveyed the small mass of destruction he had left behind, groaning bodies with bleeding noses and bruised knees littering the floor.

"D-dude! Thought you said he was the uke!"

"I thought he was! He's the smaller one, and he was clinging!"

"_And I thought I told you not to get into trouble."_

The Yamamoto boy preened as the familiar bass bounced down the alley, quickly turning around to see his partner coming to a stop just a bit behind him.

"Honestly, sweetheart, I can't leave you alone of a second, can I?" he hummed, handing him his vanilla cone.

"Nope! You gotta stay with me forever!" Takeshi laughed.

"_He must be it! The taller one!"_

"_But doesn't that go against what you said before?"_

"_This happens sometimes! My sister told me about it!"_

"...What's happening here?" Daiki asked, glancing between the two parties.

"Oh, they were talking about seme-uke dynamics before."

The Sun made a noise of confusion before stepping back out of the range of a flimsy punch, grabbing the wrist and twisting it behind his assailant's back without bothering to look away from his fiancé.

"_Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! He's not the uke! Not the uke!"_

"Why?"

"I think they wanted to know how seme-uke works in real life," Takeshi shrugged, offering some of his ice cream to him.

"So, they're like NEETs? Or, otaku's actually, since they're out and about."

The Rain smiled as he too was given green tea cream in exchange, huffing when wonderful laughter burst forth. Daiki gestured to his nose making him reach up and gain an abashed hue when he felt cold sweetness sitting on the tip, his other wiping it off with his sleeve.

"Think I can let go of this one now?" he asked, looking to the twitching thug in his hand.

"Yeah, I guess."

The rogue Sun hummed before pushing the teen away, making him stumble over the bodies of his friends and fall amongst them.

"So, where to next? Do you wanna head to my house? Bo-kun's on a play-date with I-pin-chan at Sawada-san's right now."

"Yeah!"

"_Wait!"_

The two boys paused their retreat and looked to the kneeling thug, the others around his slowly getting up as well, nursing injuries.

"Between the two of you, which one is the uke?"

Both Yakuza and Mafia blinked before looking to each other, mulling it over in their minds, but not for long.

"Mm," Daiki shrugged, though there was a growing hue on his face. "I'd bend over for Takeshi-kun, yeah."

"Haha, I'd bend over for Daiki-kun too!" Takeshi laughed, hooking his arm around Daiki's and leaning on his shoulder.

"So," His spouse smiled, a lovely red on his cheeks. "I guess we're a swapping couple, then."

"Mhm! Let's go to your house now, you got that new game yesterday yeah?!"

"Yeah, I waited for you before playing. Haven't even taken it out of its box yet. I know how much you like to unwrap things," he nodded, wrapping his arm around the smaller waist and guiding them out of the groan filled alleyway.

The Rain's smile widened with excitement and his eyes shone at the idea of the awaiting bubble wrap and boxes.

"Ah, thank you, shujin-kun!"

Daiki hummed and lowered himself to press a kiss on his fiance, pushing their smiles together as a hand cupped the Sun's nape, thumbing along his hairline.

"You're very welcome, my love."

**|Y.T|**

* * *

**P: [Insert Coo-ing noises]**


	9. Chapter 9: Dreamer (Part 2)

**|Dreamer AU!|**

**|Part 2|**

* * *

Asari yawned as he scribbled down his signature on a form, his cheek balanced on his free hand. His eyelids were drooping low as even the candles in his office began to dim, the Rain working hours into the night to finish off the documents.

He hummed and looked to the grandfather clock which ticked quietly against the wall; three-fourteen in the morning. Daiki was going to scold him again.

Asari blinked before smiling at the thought, quick to press his lips into his palm and smother it in embarrassment.

For four months Asari had been dreaming of Daiki. For four months Asari had been crawling into bed with a spring in his step, eager to sleep and open his eyes to the woman who greeted him with more kisses than he thought he would ever receive.

Of course, there were nights when she wasn't there. Those nights, Asari would dream like he used to and sometimes forget the strange, surreal nonsense his mind created. The empty nights would span for weeks at a time, and Asari would always feel cold and stiff in the morning, no matter the climate.

But the nights she came back were the ones Daiki held him tightest, where she'd nuzzle into his throat and cling onto him for the whole night. He never asked where she went, never had the chance to as she smothered his mouth with her own.

The clock chimed four in the morning and Asari let out another yawn, checking the number of remaining documents; seven more.

* * *

Asari cuddled into the arms that were wrapped around him, a warm body pressed to his back and a hand threaded with one of his own. He grumbled sleepily as lips laid on his nape, on the flesh behind his ear and his shoulder.

"Darling," Daiki began, and Asari already knew she wasn't happy with him. "What did I say about staying up so late? You'll burn yourself out."

"I know," he heard himself sigh, tired eyes still closed. "I just wanted to get everything done so nothing spilled over tomorrow."

"But what if you're too tired to concentrate tomorrow?" she hummed, and he could only shrug. "What am I going to do with you?"

Asari smiled and said, "Love me."

Daiki, '_my darling',_ let out a laugh that warmed the spaces between his bones and made him feel all loose and malleable. She sighed and shook her head before she squeezed the arm around his waist and kept him pressed firmly to her front,

"I think I can do that," she murmured into his ear and he felt his lips twitch into a grin. "Maybe I should join you in your office sometimes. Keep you company."

"Then I'll never get my work done," Asari scoffed, but he already loved the idea.

"I promise not to distract you," Daiki assured, her voice going low and soothing him back to the brink of sleep. "I'll sit on the couch and just read one of my books, listen to you scratch at the paper with your pen, watch you do that thing where you squint at a word you don't understand, like your suspicious of it," he could hear the smile in her voice then. "You're so adorable when you do that."

He felt himself flush from his ears to his chest and pouted at the far wall, huffy for having his troubles called 'adorable'. The emotion melted away swiftly, though, when Daiki scooted forward and cuddled into his shoulder, warmth blooming from where she exhaled against his skin.

They stayed like that for a while, drifting along that blissful line between asleep and awake before Daiki tugged at the blankets and bundled them both up. Asari smiled as he felt her settle down behind him, apparently ready to completely submit to the desire of sleep.

"Sleep, honey, sleep," she urged, her voice soothing, "Sleepy time."

"I just want to be awake for a little longer," he hummed, feeling her frown against his nape. "I just want to lay like this for a while."

Daiki seemed to deliberate on this for a moment before she sighed and squeezed him.

"Okay, not too long, my darling."

"Yeah," Asari heard himself conceded before he received a kiss to the cheek. "Goodnight, Daiki."

"Goodnight..." 'A-Sa-Ri', the Rain finished for her, smiling as she cuddled up to his back and relaxed.

The Rain hummed and relished in the warmth and the feel of '_my wife's' _body being pressed to his. He squeezed the fingers threaded through his hand and thumbed at a smooth callus the woman possessed on the side of her middle finger, something far within him saying that years of 'penmanship' had caused it.

So often Asari had found himself debating whether or not this woman actually was a reality. Trying to remember the facts of these dream-scapes and parallel them to his waking world. It went around and around in circles; it made sense; it didn't make sense; it made sense; it didn't, yes, no, yes, no, yes.

When he sat up, alone in bed, he thought about how she was scholarly and remarkably literate - her books were a collection of English, Italian and Japanese, how her physique possessed a masculine bulk, how her voice straddled the line of the sexes, how she was somehow in the Rain Dorms of the Vongola Mansion and how she was his '_darling wife'_. He thought about that, and he just couldn't see such a woman existing.

But when he was curled up in her arms with her breath in his ears, her face tucked into his shoulder or chest and when they kissed each other over and over, all suspicion and doubt was cast away with absolute surety that this woman was _real_. Somehow, somewhere, Daiki was always waiting for Asari to come and find her, to come to bed and cuddle with her all night long.

"I love you," he uttered, drawing Daiki's hand up and kissing her knuckles. "I love you, Daiki."

Asari was beginning to agree, completely, with his body.

* * *

Asari and G were wandering the markets on a rare Friday off, Giotto dragged out by Knuckles to stretch his legs and rest his eyes from paperwork, and thus all of them free from their shackles. The markets were bustling with stalls and merchants, travellers and locals intermingling in a manner that could only take place in a place like this.

G was looking idly at some honey samples and muttering about buying some for Giotto when Asari turned his head and caught a faint scent. His eyes widened and he quickly followed the scent of smoke and caramel, squeezing through the crowds with his nose to the wind.

"Asari? Asari, where are you going?" G called, before giving an angry grunt and followed.

The Rain paid him no mind, solely focused on winding through the crowd. A jolt of panic would strike him when he lost the scent, and it drove him to spin in stagnated circles until the wind picked it up again, and drew him further and further towards the south end of the markets.

"Asari! Asari, you dumbass flute-freak!"

The swordsman pushed forward and burst from the crowd, a pocket of calm that left him panting as he looked around desperately. He scanned the faces of those who passed, before taking a deep breath and gasped and spun before stumbling up to a little stall.

The stall had a display of scented waxes, perfumed bags and incense pots. Dry herbs hung from the stall frames and wafted off floral and herbal scents, linen bags tied with twine and ribbon sitting in wicker baskets and hand-written labels. Only one or two people were stopped at the stall, the crowd moving around it and barely paying it mind, completely befuddling Asari as his nose remained hooked on dissecting the aromas.

"Asari! What the hell?" G gasped, coming to a stop after pushing his way through the masses. "Where'd you run off?"

Asari didn't respond and moved to stand at the storefront. The woman behind the table smiled and greeted the Rain, urging the man to look at their selection, advertising a certain rose bag that was apparently popular with women. Asari smiled thinly and softly denied, stating that he was just browsing for now.

"Since when were you into scent bags?" G asked, nudging a hanging bag. "What, did you run out of incense from your hometown?"

"No," the swordsman murmured absently, lifting linen bundles and sniffing them each. "I'm just..."

Asari couldn't find it, the scent he had followed so frantically. The baskets were thinning in number and the possibilities were waning along with his hope and patience. He plucked up another one, sandalwood. Close, but not right.

The Rain paused and then grasped a bundle from three baskets before. He held them both to his nose and inhaled, instantly feeling warm like the woman was standing behind him.

Sandalwood and sugar. The closest things to her scent. The first sign of Daiki he had experienced with his eyes wide open.

"Excuse me, I'd like these, please," he asked, paying for both quickly.

G raised an eyebrow at Asari as he gathered the paper bag they had been placed into his chest, a warm and wistful smile in his eyes. The Rain pulled at the top and took in the scent happily, continuing to hold the scent tight all the way back.

**. . .**

"So, Asari," G started, pushing a sundried tomato around on his plate at dinner. "What's with the smelling bags? You kind of just grabbed them this afternoon."

The first Rain looked up from his plate and smiled absently, remembering the bag he had situated right beside his pillow already. He had hoped it would permeate his sheets with her scent by the time he went to bed tonight.

"I liked the scent," Asari answered, popping a piece of food into his mouth.

"You _ran _for it," G stressed, deadpanned. The others started looking up from their plates as well, glancing in interest. "Like, _sprinted_."

The swordsman paused and tapped his plate lightly with his fork. Asari didn't really tell the other much more about his dreams of Daiki, he had wanted to keep his secrets and moments to himself.

"...It smells like Daiki," he admitted finally, ducking his head a bit.

"I knew it," Daemon huffed.

"You're still dreaming of her?" Knuckles boomed, a jocund tune to his bellow.

"Yes," Asari nodded, smiling around his fork. "Nearly every night now."

His Family seemed to warm a little around him, happy for their Rain.

"Have you made any more progress in finding her?" Giotto hummed, and Asari withered a bit.

No, he hadn't made any progress, he never got the chance. When he dreamt, all his own drives were nudged aside for that love which almost swamped him as he curled up next to her. And when he was awake, he couldn't find any leads or hints in the short times he had to himself.

"Don't give up, friend," Knuckles assured, putting his hand on the Rain's shoulder. "She may be out there yet. Just give it time."

Asari smiled, thankful for his company.

**. . .**

The Vongola Rain rubbed his hair with a towel as he sat on the edge of his bed, the window cracked open to try and cool down the room with the summer night's breeze. He sniffed the air and smiled, a small oil burner filled with a scented oil perfuming the room.

Since Asari had found the blend that smelt of his dream Daiki he had gone out of his way to gather all sorts of ways to stain his haunts with her scent. He bought scented oils, perfumes and even some soaps that triggered the warm feeling in his chest, chasing after the woman's silhouette in his waking world.

It calmed him in ways he thought he could only dream of, and nowadays he could drift off with ease long lost to childhood. Everything smelt of Daiki, and his sheets had begun to soak up the scent, leaving the Rain often nosing at his pillows and bundling himself up with a happy smile.

He just wished he could find her. So he didn't have to replace her warm body with a firm pillow, or her scent with candles. Asari wanted to fall asleep beside her and wake up to her too, see Daiki cast in the morning light, all groggy and pouty at the church bells. He wanted to watch her get ready for the day in those clothes he saw hanging off the back of the chairs, wanted to be able to rise from the bed and loosely wrap his arms around her waist while she fixed the way her hair lay on her head.

But the risks of spreading her name made Asari's stomach go cold. The more people who knew of his Daiki the more danger she was in; for less than a moment, Asari wished the Vongola wasn't as influential as it was, then he would have been able to travel with ease and search for her.

"I want to be able to talk to you," Asari uttered aimlessly, looking down at the original scent bag, it's perfumes dulled slightly. His hair dripped and he half-heartedly rubbed at his temple with the towel around his shoulders. "Why do I lose control? Why do I get bumped to the back seat?"

Asari sighed and fell onto his back, eyes staring up at the cream ceiling as his chest rose with a swelling breath.

"I'll find you soon," he promised, both to himself and Daiki - wherever she was.

* * *

Asari woke to screaming.

Asari shot up from the bed and spun to the coarse shout to his side, heart in his throat as he laid eyes on Daiki who was doubled over herself beside him, hands on her face and heaving loud breaths.

"Daiki," he called, getting onto his knees and facing her fully, the woman shaking all over. "Hey, hey, what happened?"

Daiki didn't answer, mouth shut tight and breath heaved through her nose. She was choking on noises deep in her throat and with every jolt of her body Asari could feel his heart ache more.

The Rain didn't understand at first, but as always, his own emotions and understandings were pushed aside by something else, and one name came clawing to the front of his mind. He didn't recognise it, but the complete and utter enmity and loathing that came with it made him _growl_.

'_Byakuran'_.

Asari heard it loud and clear, the name reverberating in his ears along with the choked noises from '_my wife'_.

"Daiki, come here," Asari hushed, reaching out to the woman and pulling her tightly wound body to his chest. "My Daiki, it's okay, you're here with me. We're safe, I promise."

She shook and pressed herself against him like she was trying to sink into his body and reject her own form. Her shoulders trembled and Asari kissed the top of her head as he urged her to rest it on his collar.

Asari grit his teeth and rubbed Daiki's back, his hand making a trail up and down her spine and showing him just how drenched in sweat '_my darling'_ was, her nightshirt sticking to her skin in dark patches. He didn't care, however, and held her tight in the summer night as she panted perspiration on his shoulder.

"I'm here, Daiki, I'm here. Your…" A-Sa-Ri. "Is here," he assured her, and slowly, the woman unravelled enough to cling onto him as well.

Asari lent into her as her arms reached out and her hands grabbed handfuls of his shirt, the woman holding onto him for dear life. It felt good to have her depend on him, but to see her like this, hurt him beyond explanation. He hated it, hated it, _hated it._

"I'm scared," Daiki whispered, and Asari had to strain his ears to hear her whisper into his chest.

"It's okay, love. I'm here, it's just us here, my love," he hushed, combing her hair out of her face so he could see the tightly shut state of her lips and eyes. "It's just us here. You and me. I'm not going anywhere."

She sniffled and turned her head to cuddle deeper, curling up in Asari's lap. Daiki wrapped her arms around his shoulders and hooked them behind his neck, keeping him close.

"I love you," Asari promised, his arms tightened around '_my darling'_ and said again, "I love you Daiki. I'll always love you."

"...I love you too," Daiki murmured quietly against his throat, lips barely moving, but it was more than enough for Asari who turned and kissed her wet cheek.

They stayed like that for a while longer, just Asari holding '_my wife'_ as he leant back against the headboard, Daiki tucked to his chest. He hummed and soothed her as the night moved slowly around them, running his hand over her and lightly kissing where he could reach.

"Darling," Asari uttered softly and Daiki lifted her head to peer at him from her nook. "...Can I see it?"

All of Asari's confusion was pushed beneath a heavy wave of soft concern and adoration as he watched Daiki lowered her gaze before nodding. He sat up as she moved to settle back against him, leaning against the right side of his chest, allowing him to see her whilst still pressed close, before she grasped the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up.

Asari felt his heart go cold when he saw the scars that ripped up the centre of Daiki's torso. His right arm came and wrapped around her shoulders while his left hand reached out and laid on the pale indentation that scored her flesh.

Daiki's arm came up and looped around his neck as he continued to touch her wounds, a deep, unrelenting ache in his heart. Her expression was vulnerable as she laid there for him, exposing her belly, her hand bundling her shirt tight at her chest.

"It won't happen again," he promised, kissing her blue crown before kissing the bicep curled at his neck. "I won't let it happen again. I'll be here to keep you safe this time, I promise."

He wasn't _there_. Asari felt a sharp pain in his chest at the thought. He wanted to know what had happened, why the name '_Byakuran' _tasted so sour in his mouth.

But Daiki didn't say much more on the subject.

"It's okay, love," Daiki hummed, turning her head to nose at Asari's throat. "And all of the internal damage is gone, it's all just the outside so...We still have a chance."

"...Daiki," Asari breathed, his hand splaying full across '_my wife's'_ stomach, feeling how warm it was, heated at her core. He held her tighter, wanting her closer, closer, _closer_. "I love you so much."

"Love you too..." A-Sa-Ri, the Rain finished again as he cuddled her. "...Kiss? Kiss?"

"Kiss," Asari agreed and smiled as she lifted her head to meet him halfway, sighing against her lips as he continued to hold her belly in a mixture of possessiveness and protectiveness, fingers splayed as wide as they could go.. "Are you feeling better, darling?"

"Yeah," she panted, gazing up at him, '_amber-earth'_ eyes shining in soft contentment and adoration.

"Do you think you can sleep again?" he asked, brushing her hair from her face as she rested her cheek against his shoulder, still staring up at him.

"Yeah...thank you, my love. Sorry for waking you up."

"Absolutely anytime," Asari assured squeezing her tight before they settled down into the bed, nestling up against one another.

"Cuddle, please?" Daiki requested softly and Asari wrapped his arms around her as she burrowed into his chest, taking deep breaths from his shirt, like she loved his scent as much as he did hers.

"Goodnight, Daiki," Asari soothed, kissing the top of her head and making her give a little noise.

"'Night, love."

* * *

Asari woke up tangled on his sheets and a layer of sweat cooling on his brow. His breath was stifled and his nose clogged, an ache still crushing his chest.

He shouldn't be awake. He _can't_ be awake.

He had to be with Daiki right now. Stay at her side and make sure she slept well for the rest of the night. What if she woke up again and found she was alone? There'd be no-one there to comfort her, to ground her!

Asari coughed wetly, trying to breathe through the ache. His hands felt empty at his sides and he gripped at his thin sheets to try to fill them, remembering the damp pattern in the back of Daiki's shirt.

She was hurt. Someone had hurt her.

_Byakuran _had hurt her.

The fibres of his sheets groaned under his fists. Then he released them, exhaustion hitting him in the stomach when he thought about the expression of grief on Daiki's face, pale in fear.

The clock by the wall chimed and Asari loathed to stand from his bed, lifting himself from the humid indent he had made.

His usual humour had been drained from the Rain even as he sat down at the Vongola breakfast table. His sweetened porridge and the many colourful summer fruits decorating the table unappetising as the memory of those scars continued to flash in his mind.

"Are you okay, Asari?" Giotto asked from the head of the table, and the Rain took a moment to respond.

"Huh? Oh, yes. Sorry, still waking up, is all," he laughed, the sound rather pathetic and only fuelling his Family's suspicions.

There was a long beat of silence, everyone shared a look.

"You had another dream about that woman, right?" Daemon stated more than asked.

Asari blinked and couldn't find it in himself to deny the Mist's claim, head lowering in his seat. He rubbed his arm idly before giving a relenting sigh and glanced to the Family which sat around him.

"I dreamt that she was hurt," Asari explained, and a silence fell over the table. "She woke up screaming; a nightmare. She had scars. Someone had hurt her."

There was a pause, before Asari looked up from his plate and uttered in a deadly voice, "Hurt by _Byakuran."_

His Family looked visibly startled at his turn in nature, but none of them made a move to question it. G didn't mention how concerned he was becoming that Asari was so affected by a _dream._

"I felt so guilty; something kept telling me that it had happened when I hadn't been there. That somehow, if I had been present, I could have stopped it."

Asar gripped his knife tighter anger welling up in his stomach as he remembered the way she quivered against his chest. He gave a long, hissed breath before straightening up.

"If Daiki exists, I need to find her soon, my friends," he declared, "I don't know how much more of this I can take; of dreaming of her hurt like this."

"We will help you where we can," Giotto promised gently, getting a nod from Knuckles as well.

"If God is who sent you these premonitions, I will pray that He will clue you to her location!"

"I hope He listens," Asari sighed, pushing a piece of fish over in his plate. "Or I may need to leave home for a while. Then all of you would get my paperwork instead~!"

"We have to find her soon!" G announced, a slight sweat of fear on his brow.

"Agreed," Daemon chipped in.

Nobody wanted more paperwork. The devil it was.

There was a pause before Giotto spoke up, "Asari, you look tired."

The Rain paused and turned; he had hoped no one would notice how sluggish he felt.

"Last night's dream wasn't the most restful, no," he admitted, smiling sheepishly. "But I should be okay-"

"After breakfast return to your dorm and rest more," the Sky ordered softly, giving his Rain a look of concern and understanding. "Sleep until you regain your strength...and maybe you'll be able to spend some more time with your Daiki today."

Asari sat up straighter at the suggestion and a ripple of laughter went around the table, making him huff and flush in embarrassment.

* * *

Asari opened his eyes and was greeted by the colourful underside of a large umbrella. His left hand was tucked into his chest, while the other fell to the side and was half-buried in warm sand.

"Nice nap?" came the familiar voice and Asari sat up on his beach chair to see Daiki padding towards him, sand sticking to her shins and her shoulders blushing from sun exposure.

The woman smiled down at him as she got closer, a dark, two-piece swimsuit clinging to her body in ways that should have scandalised Asari, but only made him warm and inexplicably _proud_. She dropped down next to him on a large towel, her skin wet and hair dripping as she exhaled and fell back.

"Had enough of the water?" Asari asked, watching '_my wife_' sunbathe beside him.

"For a bit, yeah," she admitted, pushing her fringe from her face and slicking it back, stretching her arms over her head. "Bo-kun's still in the water with the others."

"Looks like he's having fun," he smiled, looking down to the waves where he saw a group of scattered figures. Asari thought he could recognise some of them as his Family.

"He's doing well in his classes, he deserves a good break," Daiki hummed, rolling onto her front and propping herself up on her elbows. "Can I get a drink?"

Asari nodded and reached into the large, heavy container at this side, ice, clear bottles and metal cans all crammed inside. He pulled out a pink can that was cold to the touch and handed it over to the woman at his side who cooed a 'thank you' and cracked it open.

The Rain relaxed back into the beach chair before smiling as he felt damp fingers lace with his own warm ones, Daiki laying on her towel with a large sun hat covering her head from the light.

"Find anything interesting down there?" he asked, tracing a line along Daiki's thumb with his own.

"Mm, Kyoko thought some loose seaweed was trying to eat her," Daiki murmured, voice almost blending with the waves. "Bo-kun chased 'Pin-chan with some kind of algae until she pushed him off the sandbank."

"She keeps our baby in check, huh?" Asari laughed.

Even as his body continued to respond, Asari was fixated. Their baby. Their baby. Their baby.

"She sure does."

The Rain continued to loosely trace a pattern on '_my wife's'_ hand as he watched the figures play. They were just a touch too far to make out for sure who was who, and he wondered if the salty air was making colours hard to see, but Asari could recognise that wild hair of his Sky anywhere. No amount of water was going to flatten those locks.

"I'm sorry I kept you up last night, my love..." Daiki apologised as Asari began to drift off again. She had sat up at some point and cupped his cheek with her hand, looming over him comfortingly. "Are you still tired?."

"A bit sleepy yeah," he admitted, closing his eyes as Daiki kissed his cheek. "But don't apologise. I'm meant to be there for you, it's my job as your husband. What about you? The nightmares usually take a toll on you."

"...Thank you, darling," Daiki sighed, dropping light kisses upon his face. "And I'm used to early and absurd hours. Raised by a baker, remember?"

Asari latched onto the information; '_raised by a baker'_. He smiled softly and turned his head to catch her lips with his own, making her giggle against him.

"Love you," she cooed, "Love you lots."

The Rain hummed in reciprocation, his hand coming to skim his fingers along her scarred stomach.

"Do you want to go back to the water?" Asari asked.

"Mm," she murmured, sliding her hand from his cheek to rest on his chest, the skin on skin contact relaxing. "Maybe not the water...Want to come to the rock pools with me?"

Daiki pulled away as Asari sat up, feet sinking into the sand as he moved with a bit more life.

"Let's go to the rock pools, wife!" he grinned, and she smiled as he grasped her hand and pulled her off her knees. The Rain nosed at her cheek for a moment before he turned to the group in the water and made large, over-pronounced gestures, informing them that he and Daiki were heading to the pools with his body until three separate hands popped up in acknowledgement. "Ready to go!"

Asari let the woman squeeze their hands and pull him along the shoreline, sand squeaking underfoot. He hummed and kept pace with her, leaning against her shoulder as she guided their path.

Daiki released his hand as they came to the rocky outcrops of the beach, black rocks reaching around a cliff face, There weren't many waves that day, but there was a light sea-foam that washed up over the edges; Daiki still warned Asari from going too close to the edges, anyway.

The woman went ahead and crouched at a rivet in the flat rock, 'amber earth' eyes wide and excited as they took in crustaceans and sea flora. She reached in and light nudged a rock, before withdrawing back as a small crab scrambled away.

Asari smiled at her enamoured expression, before turning and finding his own pools. He found mostly snails, crustaceans and seaweed. The occasional crab was exciting, Asari soon found himself climbing boulders.

"Honey! Come look at this!" Daiki called, waving at him from a couple metres away.

"Coming!" Asari called and slipped off his rock, algae making the slide fairly painless until he padded across the flatrock. "What're we looking - Ooh! Pretty fish!"

"Must have been dumped by the tide," Daiki hummed, the two crouching down beside one another.

"Still in water, just somewhere else," Asari commented idly, before cupping his hands around the fish and waddling towards the edge, trying to be both fast and careful as the salty water leaked out between his fingers. Daiki followed close behind, warning him of algae patches and walking with her hands reaching for him at all times until they reached where the water lapped over the flat rock. "Be free~!"

Asari crouched down and watched the fish regain its bearings before shooting off into the deep blue. He smiled before obeying Daiki's urging to come away from the water.

"You need to be more careful, love," she scolded, wrapping her arm around his waist. "I know it looks calm, but I'd rather you not take the risk."

"I was fine," Asari assured, touching the hand on his waist as they walked back to the sand, Daiki having enough of the pools. "But I'm sorry, I won't do it again."

"Thank you," she murmured and led him across the sand that squeaked under their feet. "Do you want to swim with me?"

"Okay," Asari nodded and Daiki smiled before she took off in a light jog down to the shore. They were still a distance away from the larger group of his Family, but Asari was more than happy to monopolise '_my wife's' _attention.

Aari watched Daiki wade into the water, knees lifting high the deeper she went until the ocean lapped at her stomach. She paused before she turned and called for him, her voice becoming muffled as she shouted that three-syllable word.

"Coming," Asari laughed and followed after her, falling against her chest and knocking them both back into the water. He smiled as Daiki spluttered before grasping her face and pressing long, groan-inducing kisses to her salty lips. "Love you."

"Trying to drown me," the woman scoffed, but laid back and drifted along, her husband resting on her chest. "Love you too..." A-Sa-Ri.

* * *

Asari blinked up at his ceiling, splayed on his back in his bed, the feeling of the tide still pulling at his naval. G was looming over him with a look of careful annoyance, like he was hesitant to wake the Rain, and irked that he had to.

"Boss says it's time for dinner," G stated, and Asari wordlessly nodded. "You have to come. He says you can't skip meals."

"Okay," Asari sighed, slowly sitting up in his bed. "I'll be there in a moment."

He didn't feel quite well, like a feeling of vertigo. This had been the first time he had woken up without falling asleep in his dreams of Daiki and it was disorienting to go from awake to awakening.

"I'll see you there," the Storm nodded before leaving the room.

Asari stared at the far wall before he grasped a scent bag and inhaled deeply, remembering the feel of her hands in his and arms around his waist. Remembered the contrast of the dark cloth against her skin and how her hair dripped and sprayed when she shook her head like a dog.

"A baker," he murmured to himself, holding the bag to his chest. "I'll find you soon. And our baby."

**. . .**

Asari sighed and rubbed his face, his back aching after sitting at his desk since the early morning when the church bell had kicked him out of Daiki's bed. He rubbed his eyes irritably before pushing away from his paperwork and checked the clock; two-fifteen. Daiki was going to be grumpy.

The Rain smiled at the thought, because when she was grumpy about his sleep, she became so very attentive towards his needs and cuddled him extra tight, like she was stopping him from getting out of bed and losing any more time to rest.

He yawned and got up, making his way through the dark halls of the Headquarters to the Rain dorms. A joy bloomed in his heart when he saw the familiar doors to his bedroom and he was quick to push them open and call through.

"Daiki, I'm back!"

The room was empty and cold, bed impeccably made and not a piece of furniture out of place.

It had been months since that night and Asari was still no closer to finding Daiki. His collection of scenters had grown and the walls of his office had become splattered with the mappings of rumours and tall tales of people with cobalt hair or golden eyes.

He was trying his best and Knuckles assured him that he prayed every day for a sign, but nothing ever seemed to come from it.

The only encouragement Asari had left was that every night when he went to bed, he'd find himself cuddled up to the very woman he searched for. He just wished, so badly, that the spell on his tongue would be lifted and he could ask her '_where are you? Tell me and I'll find you'_.

But all he could do was let her pamper him far beyond what he could ever deserve until he fell into a long and restful sleep.

Asari smiled through the pain of the vacant bed and closed the door behind him. He dressed down and climbed into his soft sheets, the scent of sugar and sandalwood making his eyes drift shut as it wafted up from the fabrics.

If he could just ignore how cold his room was, he would be warm soon. He just needed to wait…

* * *

Asari opened his eyes and was met with the sight of skin. He was laid on top of Daiki, his head dropped into her shoulder, their bellies pressed close and her legs loosely wrapped around his hips.

He was right. This place was warm.

Daiki was breathing deeply, her hands caressing his back and combing through his hair. She purred now and then, hugely contented as their skin still tingled.

"You fell asleep right after," she cooed to him when he shifted before he let out a hissed groan and smothered his face into her again, a tremble going up his spine. "You didn't even pull out, you were so tired."

Asari decided that this was one of the best ways to awaken, still seated in '_my wife'_ and sensitive. He crooned and turned his head to kiss her throat, laying his lips over fresh marks. He felt her laugh all the way through his body before she quickly reciprocated the affection along his own shoulder, her hands rolling down his back until they grabbed at the back of his thighs.

"We didn't have to do it if you're tired, love," she whispered, holding him still as he tried to move on instinct.

"Wanted to," Asari sighed, before he pushed himself up onto his elbows and pressed a long kiss onto her lips, tasting something salty and bitter on her tongue. In an instant, the blank was filled for the Rain and his body smiled as a frustration bloomed in the back of his mind.

Why did he miss out on it? Asari missed out on so much of their lives together, it wasn't fair!

"Wanted you so much, all day," he continued, trying to rock against her but she kept a strong hold and wrapped her legs tighter, keeping him stuck.

"I guess it must have been a good way to fall asleep," she hummed, caressing his face with her hand and let him kiss her again. "Did it feel good?"

"Very," Asari heard himself say, and he wanted to grit his teeth, but he smiled wide and kissed the centre of '_my darling's' _chest before he nuzzled into the place, feeling hot skin against his cheeks.

"That's good," she smiled back, carding his scalp as he enjoyed her heart against his cheek and pelvis. "It was good for me too...Very good."

"I'm glad," he grinned, peering up at her, his hands resting on the swells of her chest before he tilted his head and tried his luck. "Again?"

Daiki blinked before she let out a loud laugh that jolted his body on top of hers. She took a breath and calmed down before she raised an eyebrow and said, "Okay, one more."

"But Daiki!" he whined, obviously hoping for more and she rolled her eyes with a scoff.

"We've been like this for an hour because of your little catnap. I need a break too, love!"

"But I didn't get to enjoy it," Asari pouted, rising and falling with her breath as he had apparently been doing for an hour.

"That's _your _fault for falling asleep inside of me..." A-Sa-Ri.

"Comfy," was his chosen response, cuddling into the naked woman who snorted and gave him a soft kiss on the top of his head. "Warm."

"Yeah, I bet. Now, are we doing this _one more time_ or not?" she asked, rubbing his back to keep him from falling asleep again. "Otherwise, I'm going to take a shower."

"I'll start now," he said quickly, getting up and repositioning himself.

Daiki laughed again at his rush and despite his irk, Asari was more than happy to laugh along with her, the sound always something that pleased him beyond reason. She cooed and kissed his throat before she loosened her hold on him and, finally, let him move.

**. . .**

Asari smiled as Daiki, '_my love'_, held him tight, satisfaction rolling off of her in waves. He purred as she kissed his lips over and over, her hands wondering his chest and feeling how his heart was still beating fast.

"I love you," she whispered, the smile audible in her voice. "I love you so much, my husband. More than you could ever understand."

"I love you too, wife," he hummed, fingers idly tracing the scars on her stomach. "More than you could even imagine."

"Hm? Try me," Daiki scoffed, before leaning forward and nuzzling their noses together, laughed bubbling in their chests. "Always be mine."

"Always," Asari promised her, and she smiled brightly in a way that made Asari's heart swell in adoration before he found himself swiftly crushed to her, the woman smothering her face everywhere she could reach.

The Rain chuckled, and let her fuss over him before she squeezed him tight and settled down, kissing his collarbone. Asari hummed happily and took a breath of her scent from her scalp, holding onto her tight, their skin pressed flush without a centimetre of space given between them.

"Let's sleep now," she breathed, voice quiet in the crook of his neck. "You've kept us up long enough."

"You enjoyed it too," he huffed even as he pulled the blankets up to cover their naked forms - a far back part of Asari said it would give them more time if '_their baby' _burst into their room.

"Oh, hush," she grumbled, swatting at him blindly, and he caught her hand before pressing a swift kiss to her fingers. "Kiss-up."

"I love you too," Asari giggled, before wrapping his arms around 'my wife' and relaxed, sleep creeping up upon him. "Goodnight, Daiki."

"Mm..."

* * *

Asari woke with empty arms and a full heart, a pure happiness still lingering in his mind. He moved, on instinct, to reach for Daiki, but as always, was met with rumpled sheets.

The Rain stared at his blankets before he sighed and pulled them around himself tight, leaning into the woven embrace as he remembered the movement of bodies and countless kisses. He remembered the soft, gasped praises Daiki had uttered to him, breathing into his ear while wrapped around him, legs and all.

The church bells chimed outside, signalling the start to the day, and Asari slowly slid out of bed. He dressed and gave his flute a glanced touch, but before he left, he came to the side of his bed. The side had carefully tucked sheets and its pillowcase hadn't so much as a wrinkle, compared to the other which showed his presence. The Rain smiled a bit before he bent at the waist and pressed a light kiss to the pillow, superimposing a warm cheek over the crisp material.

"I'm going, Daiki. Sleep well."

He closed the door behind him with a soft click, and went about his day with a spring in his step.


	10. Chapter 10: Supernatural AU! (Part 2)

**|Supernatural AU!|**

**Part 2**

* * *

**Summary: Sam and Dean progress in their investigation into the suspicious murders happening around the town. They decide that following up the stranger 'Daiki Yamaguchi' would be to their advantage and attempt to seek her out. Meanwhile, Daiki and Takeshi explain to Lambo the dangerous eating habits of the Camazotz and why Hunters would kill Daiki if they found her. The two families run into each other and Takeshi makes an offer that brothers couldn't ignore. Daiki is less than pleased.**

* * *

**Word Count: 5,732**

* * *

Takeshi kissed at Daiki's ears as she stayed curled up in bed, the hour striking on 12:20 in the afternoon and the both of them were still in their pyjamas. He hummed and squeezed the woman again, making her coo in that darling way of hers.

"I'm gonna go make lunch, okay?" Takeshi murmured as he sat up, Daiki rolling over to face him as he stretched. "I'll call you when it's ready."

"You already went out shopping," she sighed, sitting up as well so she could grab his bicep and pulled him against her chest. "I'll cook, you rest."

"No," the Rain said sharply making Daiki's eyes widen. He bit his lip and kissed her cheek to wind her down. "Stay in bed, please. It's safe in bed."

The Sun gazed down at him for a moment, looking unsure as he stared back with pleading eyes. She gave a breath after a while, and nodded in acceptance.

"Okay," Daiki relented, tugging the blankets until she had burrito'd herself quite thoroughly, only her face peered out. "Thank you, love."

"Of course," Takeshi breathed, kissing her face before getting to his feet, taking his phone with him as he walked out of the bedroom and down the hall.

"I love you," he heard her call after him and he couldn't help but laugh, feeling his heart warm.

"I love you too, Daiki!"

The Rain walked with more of a skip in his step right into the kitchen. He hummed and selected one of the playlists on his phone, not getting any Japanese stations on the American radio. While the Asian lyrics lilted up, Takeshi went about setting up his work station and laying out the chopping boards.

He finished chopping up the bok choy and slid it over to sit with the rest of the vegetable before setting them int the sink under the spray of the tap, rinsing them off while he crossed the kitchen to the fridge. Takeshi reached up over the fridge and tugged a little contained out from the small space above, its seal airtight until he cracked it open and a herby, earthy smell overtook his senses.

Shamal had started sending this specific type of incense sticks to the family ever since the trip to America had been solidified. It was only made somewhere along the Yucatán Peninsula, but the black market Doctor seemed to have his lips sealed about the specific location, apparently under some sort of oath, no matter how Takeshi pestered and begged.

Takeshi only ever got 20, 10cm sticks every couple of months, so he had to make them last. He plucked one out and placed the airtight container back in it's hiding spot, knowing Daiki wouldn't find it there.

The Rain plucked out some scissors and snipped the stick in half, knowing the incense to be slow burning and even only 5cm, giving him a good 20 minutes to cover the smell of cooking. He set it upright in a pot of sand and lit the end, before backing off as the ribbon of smoke rose up.

The brand of incense was very expensive, not just because it was made in that pin-prick part of the Yucatán Peninsula, but because it was designed specifically for a purpose.

Takeshi paused opening the fridge as he heard shuffling from their bedroom, but it eventually stopped and he smiled at the thought of Daiki settling down at the scent.

The incense was made from a special blend of something natural and something not, which had been used for centuries all the way back, to before perhaps even the Mayans, to calm and create a barrier against Camazots. Well, 'barrier' was a bit of a stretch, more of it blocked scents from reaching the Camazot's senses, and allowed travellers some sort of camouflage during the dark nights.

While Takeshi couldn't relate, he could understand. He, personally, had spent too many nights tucked into Daiki's side to imagine trying to hide from her, but he had _seen _a fight between two creatures before, so he could comprehend the need to at least try and blend into the background to get around a confrontation. He was surprised that skinwalker had managed to get out alive after Daiki had been through with him.

Takeshi crouched down and reached to the back of the fridge. He grabbed two bags he had crammed away after returning from the shop a couple hours ago, one sitting concealed behind the other and he made sure to hold them in separate hands. The bag in his left hand was obviously smaller than the right, its portion about enough to only serve one person.

Takeshi selected a sharp knife quickly, before dicing up the largest portion of meat, cutting through pork and separating the fat without struggle. He hummed and scratched his cheek with the back of his wrist, hands wet and mildly bloody before moving the meat into a bowl and moving onto the other one. He didn't bother to clean the board or the knife, banking on the taste and smell of pork to soak into the meat.

The Rain cut it up and then moved it into another bowl before taking a glance to the incense. Another 14 minutes left; he could do it in time. Takeshi washed his hands and left the knife and board in the sink, sprinkling salt over both. He hummed and continued to cook, paying attention to the incense stick that acted as his timer.

When it came time, he separated the vegetables into two pans, one for pig and the other for long pig. He cooked them both thoroughly, and by the end, there was little to no difference between the two servings in either scent or sight.

Takeshi pulled out two plates and pat generous mounds of rice onto both, before spooning his stir fry onto the side of the plate. He washed the smaller pan that he had cooked Daiki's portion in and placed it away, leaving only the large pan sitting on the stove, half-full and ready for leftovers.

Takeshi placed down the plates on the dining table and looked to the incense one more time; it burnt out and the barrier it boasted tapered off to alert Daiki of the ready food.

"Daiki!" he called out, sticking his head into the hall. "Come on out, lunch is ready."

The Rain laughed as Daiki grumbled loudly and came out of their room, shirt risen slightly to scratch at her lower back. He hummed and opened his arms to her, letting the woman slump into him with a happy coo.

"Did you fall asleep again?" he asked, getting a lazy nod. "Oh, my little Camazotz."

The irony wasn't missed by either of them as Daiki stood up slightly and peered over his head into the kitchen. She continued to make soft purring noises in the back of her throat that rumbled against Takeshi's temple, relaxing him all over until he began nuzzling her shoulder.

"Food?" Daiki hummed, and he lifted his head.

"Yeah, come on it's ready. Just need to get spoons and drinks and stuff."

"Thank you, darling. Best husband," she murmured down to him and Takeshi grinned as she kissed his forehead.

Daiki trailed behind Takeshi as they stepped back into the kitchen, the large woman grabbing two sets of chopsticks and spoons before setting them beside each plate. She pulled out Takeshi's chair as he came back with cups and a jug of water, the Rain let out a laugh as he cooed and sat down.

Takeshi smiled as he waited, watching as Daiki brought a chunk of diced meat to her mouth, teeth a touch too sharp to be human sinking into the pork-soaked long pig. He saw it, the way the corners of her eyes began to show a spider webbing of luminescent gold, and the eagre sink of teeth. But he knew Daiki herself didn't realise the 'slip-up' as she paused and glanced to him.

The Rain hummed and began to eat his own food, very pleased with himself.

**. . .**

Takeshi held his phone in landscape as he watched the latest baseball game he had missed because of the meeting. He felt Daiki shifting at his side, her tongue dragging over his ribs repetitively until he looked down at her and she paused, staring back.

The Sun was curled up next to him in bed again, having returned after finishing their lunch, and once they had settled down, she had begun, more or less, 'grooming' her husband. If Lambo had been there, Takeshi had no doubt that she would have been all over their baby too.

Normally, people would quiver at the thought of being licked by a Camaztos, having a creature taste them and sometimes feel the graze of teeth. But Takeshi knew that she was just falling into her nature, satisfied by a full belly from her mate. It made him proud whenever she settled next to him and lapped at his chest and usually made sure to lose his shirt after feeding her.

Takeshi turned back to his phone and Daiki started licking, he looked to her and she stopped. He stared, before cracking a smile and ducking his head to kiss her quickly.

"Good?" he asked.

"Good," she purred and the Rain grinned.

"Love you, darling," he cooed. "I love you."

Daiki chirped something human throats couldn't achieve before returning to her grooming. This time, Takeshi didn't disturb her and instead wrapped and arm around his wife to bring her close.

* * *

Dean slapped a sheet of paper down onto the coffee table, making Sam look up from his laptop in question, taking the script up after a moment.

"Our girl has a type, it would seem."

"I beg your pardon?" Sam uttered, glancing to his brother.

"Every one of our dead guys, Mike Ugor, Lawrence Hopp, Kyle Grout, Harris Park, Julian Desen, are in their late teens to mid-twenties. They're all fairly muscled, spent time at the gym, and are known to have been quite the ladies' man," Dean explained, sitting on the foot of his bed after snatching the beer from his brother's hand. "So, our girl's after the jocks."

"Hm," the younger hummed, reading the paper in his hand. "Fat Daddy's Nightclub?"

"Every one of our guys visited that club on the night they were chewed up."

"Fat Daddy's?" Sam stressed, getting a shrug from Dean.

"Hey, I'm not gonna judge where a man gets his drinks," he huffed, before glancing to the side. "Even if it is called 'Fat Daddy's'."

The young Winchester sighed before dropping the paper on the table, glancing down at his watch.

"Well, it's already closed. So, I guess we're going tomorrow night."

"Yeah, hey," Dean began, making his brother look up. "Do you think that Daiki guy would know anything? We could go and ask 'em. They're local, may have some leads."

Sam just looked at his brother with the same flat expression.

"What? This is about the case!"

"Sure, Dean, sure."

* * *

Daiki cooed as Lambo clambered up onto his parent's bed, home from another day and intent on getting affection from those he hadn't seen for hours. The little Lightning crawled until he dropped into her large side, grumbling in happiness as her strong arm came to curl around his form.

"Have a good day?" she asked gently, taking off her glasses and setting them on the side table as Takeshi walked into the room, shrugging off his jacket so he could drop down too.

"Mm, boring," Lambo muttered, feeling his father curl around them from behind, a comforting presence against his back, defence from both sides.

"How's your friend? Jeremy?" Takeshi hummed, kissing his wife's brow from over the top of the child's head.

"Jeremy's fine. He brought his Yu-Gi-Oh cards..." the young Lightning answered slowly, already drifting.

"You should have gone to bed earlier, my darling. It's too early to sleep now," Daiki chided warmly, rousing their sleepy son with gentle taps to the side. "Have some food, it'll wake you up."

The Rain rolled onto his back and opened his drawer, fishing around the inside for a moment, before he came back and stuck a round little lollie into the boy's mouth, grape flavoured sugar making the boy stir. The mother snorted, but opened her mouth as a pale purple sweet was pressed to her lips, the sugar blooming over her tongue; the swordsman clacking one against his own teeth as well.

"I should get dinner started," Daiki sighed after a moment of cuddling, Takeshi combing her hair in manners that made her skin ripple in goosebumps as she hummed.

"We have plenty of leftovers from what I made yesterday, we can eat those tonight," the husband hushed, rolling the silver knob in her lobs between his fingers. "Just rest for a while longer."

"Hungry," she whined, kissing the hand on her cheek. "Hungry."

Takeshi stilled at that, and Daiki quickly became quiet, because they both knew that no amount of human cooking could satisfy her palette - whether she was meant that or not. Mocha eyes softened with worry and guilt, he fed her without her knowing, yes, but even that was only a small portion every now and then. He could only sneak so much to her without someone, or the woman herself, realising what he brought back from those dark alleys in shopping bags.

Daiki thinned her lips before she reached over and kissed his cheek, getting up and straightening her shirt.

"I'll start heating up some rice. I'll call when it's ready, keep Bo-kun from falling asleep," she breathed, before gliding out the door, leaving the husband to stare after his wife's back.

"Daiki," he called, making his other pause and glance over her shoulder. "If you need to eat, I can-"

"I'm fine, darling. Human food satisfies me well enough," the Sun hushed, before walking out of view.

**. . .**

Daiki leant against the back of Takeshi's chair as they watched their son try not to burn his tongue on the microwaved leftovers of last night's curry, humming as the father fingered her hand. She cooed and kissed the top of his head, making the Rain sigh and relax, before she pulled out her own chair and sat down, spoon taken up and utilised.

The television murmured quietly in the background along with the happy chowing of the young Lightning, laughs slipping from the swordsman as he watched his family. The Sun blinked, before smiling along, her free hand coming to rest on the table, inviting her lover to take it up, which he did with a joyful urgency.

"Mama?" Lambo started, making the two look to him.

"Yes, love?"

"Daddy says you can't eat human food. Because you're a Camazotz," he uttered, pausing his meal.

"Uh," Daiki began, glancing to her husband. "Well, I can eat human food, but..."

Takeshi squeezed her hand in assurance, making her smile weakly as she lowered her spoon. The Sun took a breath, before turning back to her young son.

"I can eat human food, but it's not as satisfying," she explained, pushing her curry around with her spoon. "When I eat human food, it's like eating a small portion of something better. It doesn't taste as nice and it's just not as filling. I could physically be full, my stomach completely packed, but I'd still feel unsatisfied. Constantly just a little bit more hungry, even if I don't really need it."

Lambo looked at his mother with worry, glancing between the clear cup and her face.

"Have you always been like that?"

Daiki huffed a laugh and shook her head.

"No. Tou-san was like me too... Kaa-san knew what to feed me. What to feed Camazotz."

"Then what can you eat? Why not eat what fills you?!" the Lightning yelped, sitting up more in protective outrage.

The Rain Guardian thinned his lips, and ran his thumb over her rough knuckles.

"I can't, darling. If I were to eat what Camazotz are meant to eat then...You and Daddy would be in trouble. People would come and try to hurt Mama, and you might get hurt too."

"Hunters would come, Bo-kun," Takeshi added quietly, feeling his wife tense under his hand.

"Why would hunters come? Mama needs to eat, let her eat!"

"Because Camazotz need to eat humans, darling," Daiki sighed finally, kissing the swordsman's fingers.

Lambo sat quietly for a moment, before nodding and sitting back in his chair. Daiki glanced to Takeshi at the reaction, a worried furrow in her brow which urged him to turn to their child.

"So...What do you think about that, Bo-kun?" he asked, feeling the Oyabun grasp his hand tighter.

The Lightning glanced up from his plate, before getting up from his chair. He pattered over to the Sun, and grunted as he pulled himself into her lap, wrapping his arms around her neck and nuzzling into her collar, a hand settling on his back as his mother cradled him closer.

"I love you, Mama. I want you to eat," he murmured, cooing as she kissed his temple. "Mama needs to eat. Being hungry hurts."

Daiki thinned her lips, unable to deny the near-constant gnawing that existed in her stomach, soothed only momentarily by the flavours of human cuisine. Takeshi hummed in agreement and pulled his chair over until he could cuddle up beside them, Lambo's hand coming to grasp at his shirt and hold both of his parents close.

"I want Mama to eat too," the Rain sighed, curling his arm around her waist as she leant against him. "You need to eat."

"I'll be fine. It's not that bad," Daiki laughed, turning her head to kiss the hollow of the swordsman's collar. "I've been doing it for years."

"But...But you're hungry!" Lambo exclaimed.

"But you and Daddy are humans, darling," she pressed, touching his cheek and catching little tears of worry. "I'd feel terrible, coming home every day with human meat in my stomach while I cuddle you. I'd feel so guilty."

Takeshi paused, a moment of pain, guilt and perhaps anger, going off deep in his heart. He thinned his lips and pressed them to her brow, squeezing his wife securely.

"But we kill people, anyway! We're Mafia and Yakuza!" Lambo pressed.

"But not to eat them, never to eat. We bury them, cremate them. Tsuna makes sure that every victim is disposed of in a respectful manner if possible," Daiki hushed.

"But..._Mama," _he sniffed, and he and his father hugged the Sun tighter, feeling her sag into them.

"I'll be fine. You two and the others keep me going," she breathed, curling into their affection. "I love you, Bo-kun, shujin-kun."

"We love you too, Mama," Lambo murmured.

"With all our hearts, shujin-chan," Takeshi joined, kissing the corner of her closed eye, making the clicking cooes of something inhuman slip from her throat.

* * *

Sam jolted awake, a groan tumbling from him when he realised there was no danger, and only his grinning brother, armed with a pillow.

"Morning, Sammy!" Dean boomed, tossing the thing aside and going to tie his shoes. "Rise and shine!"

"What's got you in such a good mood?" the younger grunted, rubbing his face, still buzzing from the whip of the pillow.

"We're going to hit the town, ask around for any information on our guys."

Sam groaned before swinging his legs out from under his sheets, muttering when the cool seeped warmth from his skin.

"You're planning on going to the Yamaguchi guy's house aren't you?" he huffed, scratching his scalp as he yawned, getting an indignant grunt from his brother.

"For the hunt, of course! We've got to follow all our leads!"

"Whatever, man."

**. . .**

Dean sat deflated on the park bench, the younger brother of the Winchester sons snickering at his expense as he chewed through his sandwich.

"They weren't home," the elder sighed, paper wrapping crinkling in his hands as he ate sadly.

"I know, I was there with you," Sam murmured, before covering his mouth and nudging his brother. "They weren't home because they were here!"

"Wha-" Dean sat up sharply and followed the tall man's gesture to a bench nearly on the other side of the park, near to where the children's playset was standing.

The younger hunter sighed as he folded the wrappings over the chewed top of his sandwich and followed his brother who had sprung to his feet and wiped off his face, roguish smile settling into place as he sauntered across the field.

"Hey, Daiki Yamaguchi, yeah?" Dean laughed, like he hadn't committed the name to memory. "Fancy seeing you here!"

"Oh," they blinked, eyes coming away from something past them to see the two men. "Cameron and Henry Stottle, how have you been?"

"Good! Good," the rough Winchester answered, getting an incredulous side-eye from the younger. "We found the inn you mentioned, it's doing us good."

"Oh, that's good. I was wondering if I had suggested something too low a quality."

"No, it's been fine- great, awesome-"

"What book are you reading?" Sam blurted, deciding to finally save his mess of a sibling who at this point, seemed more likely to be able to assemble a gun from scratch rather than talk a coherent sentence.

"Oh, this is something my friend gave to me," Daiki answered, pulling the book they had closed for the conversation onto their lap, displaying the cover and characters neither could read. "It's in Japanese, but the title says '_The Black Goat's Egg_'."

"Never heard of it," he hummed, intrigued. "What's it about?"

"Well, the story revolves around the relationship between a young man and his mother. His mother is the brutal serial killer known as the "Black Goat". The young man is disgusted by his mother's gruesome killings, but he begins to realise the same impulses exist within him as well," they uttered, trailing their fingertips over the kanji in consideration. "It focuses on graphic depictions of violence, as well as an exploration of the protagonist's mental state."

"Oh," Sam uttered, not expecting that. "Sounds intense."

"It is rather confronting in some scenes. The writer doesn't do much to sugarcoat what's happening," they nodded, before pausing, and looking away from the brothers as a child shouted for his mother.

The hunters looked to the call, and stared with wide eyes as a kid barrelled into the dark haired reader's lap, making Daiki huff upon impact and wrap their arms around the child to stop them from plummeting to the concrete path.

Dean blinked. Cow print.

"Hey, darling, what's up?" Daiki hummed, carding black curls as the boy sniffed.

"I fell and scraped my knee!" he spluttered, showing the little beading of blood that peaked out from under his shorts.

"Eh? You did?" they cooed, reaching to the bag beside them and rummaging through until a water bottle and a tissue pack was pulled free. "Let's get you cleaned up then. Pull your shorts up."

The cow print kid sucked up a noseful of snot before tugging up the material, the parent brushing off the splotch pattern shirt of dirt and wood chips in the meantime. Sam and Dean glanced to each other, the older pale as the reality settled in.

"Mama, who are they?"

Mama. So a woman.

Daiki turned to the two, before smiling and wiping away the dots of blood and dirt with a wet tissue. She was about to answer, when another joined them at the bench, a tall man with dark hair and a warm smile, an ice cream cone balanced in each hand.

"Oh, what happened to Bo-kun?" he asked, making the sniffing boy look up.

"Daddy," he whined, wincing when his knee was dabbled again, before the tissue was traded for an ice cream and the father threw the wet ball, Sam whistling as it arched into the bin metres away.

"Bo-kun took a tumble over on the playground, but he's fine," Daiki answered, sticking a bandaid on the graze and tucking the boy against her chest as he pouted at the plaster.

"Uh..." Dean uttered, making the family look to him and recognise the brothers again.

"Oh, sorry!" Daiki laughed, scratching her nape. "Cameron, Henry, this is Takeshi, my husband, and Lambo, our son," she hummed, accepting the hand that settled on her shoulder, and ignoring how Dean thinned his lips when his brother glanced at him humorously. "Takeshi, Lambo, this is Cameron and Henry Stottle. I met them on Monday."

Sam blinked when the man, Takeshi, grinned and laughed, chipper as he leant up against the back of the bench, his wife leaning back into him happily.

"Monday?" he repeated, looking between them in a near analytical manner. "Was that before or after you called me?"

"Just a bit before. They were looking for an inn, they're from out of town."

"Really? Where?" Takeshi asked, looking like an over-excited child, the two feeling their bodies slowly unwind in the family's presence

"Texas, but we travelled around a lot. Our dad liked the open road," Sam answered easily, smiling when the man hummed jollily.

"Wow. Must have seen so much then!" he commented, before turning his gaze down on his wife and child. "We're from Japan, moved here for my work."

"Damn, Japan? I thought your names sounded Asian," Dean huffed agreeingly, shifting his weight to a more comfortable stance. "Though, is Lambo a Japanese name?"

"No, no. Lambo is from Italy. He's adopted, we're too young to be having a kid his age," Daiki laughed, patting the boy's back.

"I thought so," Sam nodded, before gesturing to the two spouses. "How old are you?"

"I'm 20, Daiki's 21."

"What? And you're married already!?" the elder Winchester spluttered, exchanging a look with his sibling.

"Yeah, it's kind of a funny story," the woman chuckled, snorting with laughter as a kiss was planted on her cheek from behind.

"Mama, gimme," Lambo spoke up, making grabby hands for the ice cream.

Daiki tsked and held it further away as her face settled into a slight frown.

"That's not how you ask for things, Bo-kun. Say it nicely."

"Please, Mama, gimme?"

She sent an exasperated look to her husband who shrugged his shoulders at the pointed expression.

"He gets it from you. I remember you like this."

Lambo pouted before taking the ice cream from his mother's hand and fixing himself so he could lean back into her torso, the back of his head thunking on to her collarbone.

The brothers glanced to each other, before shrugging and turning back.

"We've got time for a story," Sam uttered, making the couple blink.

Takeshi perked up all of a sudden, making Daiki glance to him out of the corner of her eye, something sharp in her gaze that both of the hunters missed in turn for the loud and cheery proposition offered to them by the man.

"If you have time, why not come and have dinner at ours?" he laughed, "We're still pretty new, and we're always busy, so we don't get guests often!"

"Oh, we couldn-"

"We'd love to!"

"How does tomorrow night sound, then? Five-thirty?"

"We'll be there, thanks!"

Sam and Daiki exchanged looks of equal confusion and panic, both of them only able to watch as their partner setup something that neither were expecting.

"Well, we better get going then," the husband smiled, wiping some ice cream off of Lambo's cheek. "Bo-kun here has to go to baseball practice in an hour."

Daiki pressed a smile to the top of the huffing boy's head, humming against his scalp as the child licked at the lessening stump of his ice cream.

"Oh, sure! See you tomorrow after five, then."

* * *

Takeshi sighed when he saw his wife sitting up on her side of their bed, arms crossed and glaring at him as he entered through their door, softly closing it behind him.

"What were you thinking?" Daiki hissed, "Did it not occur to you that they were the Hunters?"

"I realised that," he uttered, plugging in his phone to its charger before climbing into the sheets, already warmed by the heat of his other.

"And you thought it was a good idea to invite them here? To my den, our home?" she stressed, a hand coming to her brow. "Takeshi, we can't leave until the end of the year. It's only May!"

"I know, and I know how tricky this is going to be-"

"Then why did you do it?" she asked sharply, her hands curling in her lap. "You said you were going to protect me."

"And I will!" Takeshi shouted, unwittingly raising his voice in a moment of heightened emotion. "I will! I said I would, I promised."

Her hands were tight, faded scars showing in their taut nature, and it made his heart ache, feeling how her radiant sunshine quivered with fear and anger. Not directed at him, never at him. But at what he had invited into their home, what they might do.

He grit his teeth as he watched his beloved try to relax, gold creeping in from the corners of her sclera, before she roughly blinked it away. Takeshi uttered a small noise, before reaching across and carefully laying his hand over her larger ones, covering their scars and calluses with his own imperfect fingers.

"I love you, Daiki, and I promised to protect you from all you fear," he breathed, making his wife finally look at him, though her head remained bowed. "I know you're scared, not only for yourself but for me and our Lambo, but I ask you: trust my judgement. Please."

Daiki took a breath that filled her body to the brim, before sighing loudly, and giving a slow nod, feeling her hands become squeezed beneath her love's palms.

"I trust your judgement, Takeshi. I trust you," she uttered finally, raising her eyes to see the relief and gratitude on the Rain's face.

"Thank you," he murmured, leaning close gaze up at her. "Thank you."

Takeshi reached for the Sun and urged her to his chest, her cheek resting atop his heart as he wrapped his arms around her, shielding his wife from those who desired to hunt her down. He kissed the warm crest of her skull, before she tilted her head back and demanded one for her lips, humming as he happily obeyed.

"Shujin-chan," he began, making her grumble as he pulled from their kiss. "Show me?"

Daiki blinked slowly, before glancing to the curtains and standing from their bed. She walked to the window and carefully closed the drapes, hiding them from the outside eyes. Takeshi waited for her as she pulled her singlet off and crawled to sit on his lap, his arms coming to wrap around her waist as she rolled her shoulders.

Takeshi knew the lore of the Camazotz, he had read and listened when he had learnt of his beloved's nature, wanted to help, wanted to know. He had even offered blood at one point, but had been thoroughly denied. Daiki refused him many things when it came to her creature-hood, refused him the solace of seeing her eat as she should, but she never hid it from him now.

The Rain reached up as he felt her skin begin to pull taut, cupping her face as gold began to creep in from the corner of her sclera until her eyes were a complete, luminous yellow. He smiled and gazed into them lovingly, making the nocturnal being blush and smile in response, needle-sharp teeth shining, before she covered them up again in embarrassment, starting when Takeshi leant forward to press a warm kiss on her lips, feeling how they were thicker, almost like animal hide. It felt nice nonetheless, as Daiki gently gave a kitten lick at the seam of his own soft lips, murmuring a quiet noise at him, bowing her back so they could press closer.

She flinched as a fleshy rip sounded before a shadow was cast across the room, with large, leathery wings stretching out and flexing as the Sun groaned. Takeshi brushed her cheekbone with his thumb and pulled her down for another loving kiss, wings slowly coming to fold and brush his sides as they tried to wrap around him.

"I love you, my darling Daiki," he whispered, smiling up at his golden-eyed wife. "My beautiful Camazotz."

Daiki shuddered before pulling the Rain to her chest, his cheek pressed to her breast as her arms and wings wrapped around him in an all-consuming embrace which he reciprocated with his own simple arms, kissing at her sternum and around the swells of her chest as she buried her nose into his hair.

"I love you, Takeshi. So, so much," she murmured, kissing the crest of his skull, before sighing, feeling long fingers begin to slowly massage the bases of her wings, rubbing deep circles into the dark, fine-haired sprouts.

"Let's go to sleep, shujin-chan," Takeshi hushed, pulling her to lay down with him, her hands and chin perched upon his chest as she peered up at him in an adoring, yet nervous manner.

It broke his heart, how his beloved Daiki still shied away from people when she presented her creature-hood, and how even he was no true exception to it. He sighed and brushed her hair, tucking it behind her sharpened ears, before fiddling absently with the angled up tip, smiling as she tilted her head into it with a low, rumbling croon.

The Camazotz woman smiled before kissing his pectoral and quickly retreating, as if he would be angered by it, making his heart ache and cup her cheek. She murmured into his palm and closed her eyes to the warmth, her wings fluttering in her happiness, before smoothing out to drape all across the bed.

"I will always love you," Takeshi swore. "And I will always protect you."

Daiki took a deep breath from within his hand and flushed a soft hue of red, before smiling against his roughed up skin, her fingers spinning a circle on the Rain's pectorals, a calming rhythm.

"I will always love you," Daiki oathed quietly, turning her golden gaze upon him, hiding down into his chest like she did before. "And I will always protect you."


	11. Chapter 11 REQUEST: TsunaDaiki Route

**|Tsuna/Daiki Route|**

* * *

**_From Guest: I would love to see an AU where Tsuna tried to get with Daiki, I'm rereading Baker's Daughter and his little puppy crush is too cute!_**

**Ask and ye shall receive, lil crumbs...Though it may take 10,000 years because - I'm sorry. Also, I saw that Hibari Route request too, I will get to it and pray that it doesn't ake as long as this little shit.**

**…**

**Anyone can request a thing! I will do the thing! (Eventually)**

**I would love it, however, if you would specify which gendered Daiki you wanted!**

* * *

Tsuna sighed as he watched Kyoko get dropped off by the two upperclassmen of Namimori Middle. He tucked his feet closer to himself, arms wrapped around his knees as he stared, the white noise of Yamamoto and Gokudera having a go with each other bouncing off his ears.

"Tsuna-kun!" Kyoko cheered, waving joyfully, "Hi! I'm here!"

"Hi!" he called back, but his eyes were gazing passed her to the boy dressed in a red and black hoodie.

Yamaguchi Daiki was talking with Sasagawa Ryohei, the two of them as thick as thieves and completely in their own world. No room for Tsuna, of course. But he could dream, and wish, and hope with all his little heart that, maybe, one day…

Oh, who was he kidding?

"Tenth! We're ready for your command!" Gokudera announced, and Yamamoto snickered at his overzealous nature.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, let's go to the arcade now."

If he had paid more attention and wasn't so very distracted by the last glances of cobalt, he would have noticed the watchful eyes of a hitman and the plotting that made his Sky quiver in fear.

* * *

"I like you!"

The classroom was empty, and the sun was struggling on the horizon; the sky turning peach as the two boys shuffled awkwardly across from each other.

Tsuna wasn't entirely sure why he had gone through with his DWM-fulled craze, after Reborn had shot him, and he had hysterically scribbled a note to the elder Yamaguchi to meet him in the classroom 2-A after school. He should have ditched or laughed it off as a joke, but instead, here he was, face aflame and heartbeat in his ears.

"I really like you, Yamaguchi-san."

Daiki blinked down at Tsuna's declaration, the young Sky squeezing his eyes shut after forcing out the phrase. He opened and then closed his mouth mutely, brain seemingly slowly grinding through the situation.

"Uh..."

Tsuna winced at the low utterance and peeked up at the Sun from under his lashes, shoulders slumping when he saw the look of strain and confusion. He glanced off, biting his lip in disappointment.

"It's okay," he managed out, avoiding the eyes of the older boy. "I didn't expect a response I just...ah, just kind of had to say it. Get off my chest."

Tsuna knew, he _knew_, that somewhere in the classroom Reborn was watching him humiliate himself. Oh, if he could just get his hands on that hell baby he'd-

"Whatever happened to Kyoko-chan?" Daiki asked, squinting a little in confusion. "I thought you had your heart set on her?"

"Huh?" Tsuna blinked before choking and spluttering. "Kyoko-chan? No! No, she's- we're - no!"

"Alright, I get it," Daiki soothed quickly, and the little Sky caught his breath.

"Kyoko-chan and I aren't like that, really," he insisted, wanting to banish the thought as thoroughly as possible. "Actually, she knows that I...like...you." The last words were wheezed out, the boy having little to no practice saying the phrase, let alone to the subject's face.

Daiki shifted his weight between his feet and rubbed his nape, audible breaths taken as he mulled over things Tsuna could only imagine he was thinking.

"You..._like_ me," the Yamaguchi finally uttered, reiterating that phrase and making Tsuna cringe even as he nodded. "Why?"

Big brown eyes blinked in a stupor. Why _wouldn't _he like Yamaguchi Daiki?

"Do I need a specific reason?" Tsuna asked, unable to pinpoint single motives. "I just...like _you_."

"I have been outright cold to you, Sawada-san, since we met," Daiki reasoned, crossing his arms as one hand continued to gesture. He was beginning to feel further discomfort and showing it.

"Not always," the Sky countered quickly, taking half a step forward. "Like the time you helped me when I cut myself on glass. The time you saved me from drowning. The time you taught me to swim. The time you helped me with my homework. All those times you stayed over so I wouldn't be home alone."

"Your mother _asked _me to do that-"

"And you _agreed_," Tsuna pressed.

"That still doesn't mean I'm nice," Daiki sighed, leaning to sit back on the edge of the teacher's podium.

"You are nice, Yamaguchi-san," Tsuna insisted. "You're kind and you're caring - even if you refuse to see that I _do _and it's _one _of the reasons I like you!"

Daiki blinked and Tsuna pulled back a little, head shrinking down into his shoulders when he realised just how forward and loud he had become.

Another long silence stretched on and then the bell above Nami-chuu's clock tower rung out; the end of club hours. All loitering students were to leave the grounds now.

Tsuna deflated a little bit, chewing on his lower lip in visible distress.

"It's fine if you don't feel the same, I knew it was nearly impossible," he laughed a bit in a depreciating way. "You can just pretend this never happened and I'll-"

"You don't get to choose what I'm going to do," Daiki grumbled, and Tsuna's jaw clicked shut. The elder boy was hunched over in thought, face pinched in deliberation and slight anger. "Just let me think."

"Sorry, I just-"

"Be quiet for five minutes, I need to _think_."

Tsuna paused, then he frowned softly in a manner that was somehow fond. Despite what the Yamaguchi had demanded, he stepped closer and began to speak again.

"That's another thing I like about you, Yamaguchi-san," he said, forcing himself to power through the glare he was receiving from amber-earth eyes. "You're always thinking, always making sure you've weighed every pro and con before you take a step. Nothing is unworthy, everything deserves proper deliberation..."

He took a breath, pushing his tongue to move.

"But you think too much sometimes. Go BATS like Sasagawa-san says and go with your first instinct," Tsuna waited before he gave a hopeful smile and said, "Please."

"My first instinct?" Daiki repeated, a light scoff coming off his tongue. He raised his eyes and looked at Tsuna for a moment, surveying his whole being and staring straight into his eyes. "Fine."

Something inside Tsuna was nudged, and he felt warm.

Then Daiki pushed off the podium and walked across the distance in three quick strides. Tsuna barely had time to yelp as a hand grabbed the front of his collar and dragged him off his balance, shoes scuffing the hardwood floor as he stumbled.

Whatever Tsuna was about to scream - a plea or unintelligible whimpers - were muffled when a warm mouth pressed down on his own and made him freeze. His eyes widened, and he stood rigid, arms still out in a bid for balance as a hand cupped his nape and pulled him closer to Daiki.

Tsuna was kissing Daiki.

Sawada Tsunayoshi was kissing Yamaguchi Daiki.

Sawada Tsunayoshi was kissing Yamaguchi Daiki _on the mouth!_

Tsuna's eyes rolled back in his head and his legs gave out, face flushed as all the blood in his body collected in his head. His ears down to his chest burnt with an embarrassed, _elated _heat as he heard Daiki laugh breathlessly while the Sky dangled lifeless in his arms.

"Are you still with me, Sawada-san?" Daiki asked, cradling the back of his head to force Tsuna's unfocused gaze onto his face.

"I, uh, the, um…" Tsuna babbled aimlessly, too many synapses shooting in his brain for him to pay attention to any one thing let alone cognise.

"Well, I guess I'll do the talking then," Daiki chuckled, still holding Tsuna tight and literally the only reason he wasn't a pile on the floor. "Yes, Sawada-san, I will accept your confession. I like you too."

Tsuna shook himself awake and stared up at the boy who loomed over him, unable to force down the upward turn of the corners of his lips.

"So..that means..." he began, laying his hands on the arms that held him up.

Daiki smiled and Tsuna felt the spaces between his bones become warm, their foreheads coming to press together as the Sun exhaled. "I guess, this means I'm yours now. You've successfully called dibs on me, my little fish."

**. . .**

"I told you! I freaking _told you!_" Kyoko bellowed, standing on top of Tsuna's desk as she pointed at how Daiki rested his hand on the seated Sky's shoulder. "You two got together yesterday, didn't you!"

"...Maybe," Daiki grinned.

Gokudera wiped away a tear of pride, his hand on his heart as Yamamoto pat his back. "Look at the Boss, I'm so proud. I thought he was going to die a spinster."

"Gokudera-kun," Tsuna whined, before yelping as Daiki bent to plant a kiss on his cheek. "Daiki-kun!"

"What's wrong, Tsunayoshi-kun?" Daiki snickered as the Sky's face went the usual charming red he wore so often around the Sun. He laughed and tugged on the younger until he was turned in his chair to cuddle into Daiki's stomach, who rubbed his back. "You're going to have to get used to this, my little fish."

"_Mm_..." Tsuna complained unintelligibly, and his friends laughed around him.

* * *

Tsuna rolled over and cuddled into Daiki's side as the older boy continued to scroll through his phone, the two of them curling up in the Sawada's bed for the night. Tsuna had only just managed to run away from his mother's knowing giggling and was more than in the mood to snuggle up for the night, and a smile split his cheeks as Daiki wrapped an arm around him.

"Hello, love," Daiki purred, combing his fingers through Tsuna's soft hair. "All ready for bed now?"

"Yeah," he nodded, tucking his head under Daiki's chin once he had settled down and pulled the blankets up.

"So, how's second year going?" Daiki asked softly, both of them slowly winding down as they held onto each other. "Better than first year? No one's challenged you to a duel of honour yet."

"Haha, yea," Tsuna laughed weakly, gripping the back of Daiki's shirt in his hands absently. "It's going good so far. I'm not behind on my homework yet either."

"Good," Daiki praised directly into his ear and Tsuna wriggled a bit as a pure joy filled him. "Now, go to sleep, otherwise you'll be dead on your feet tomorrow like this morning."

"Okay," Tsuna pouted before burrowing his nose into Daiki's chest and began to dose off-

"This is no time for sleep, Dame-Tsuna."

Daiki groaned and sat up as the little gremlin that was Reborn shone floodlights directly onto their bed, an angry baring of teeth barely fazing him.

"He needs sleep, Reborn," Daiki snapped, yanking the blankets over Tsuna's head as the boy squeaked.

"Sleep is for the weak."

"Sleep is for the _functional_," the Sun retorted, scratching his scalp as a yawn slipped out. "Not everyone can run on espresso coffee and pecan bread like you, you tiny devil-man."

"I'll take that as a compliment," the hitman scoffed, still standing on top of the floodlights, and with a snap of a switch he turned them off, plunging the room into normal lighting as Daiki reached for a lamp. "But the Dame must learn to-"

"Stop calling Tsunayoshi-kun 'Dame', Reborn."

"-persist beyond human needs. A Boss will need to be alert and ready at all times."

"How many Bosses are fifteen-year-old boys who are still going through their major growth spurts?" Daiki grumbled before Tsuna let him tug the Sky closer and cradle his head in his lap.

Tsuna sighed, a fond and exasperated smile coming to his expression as he cuddled his cheek to Daiki's thigh. He had long grown used to Daiki and Reborn's squabbles, and he was honestly glad that, amongst all the chaos, someone had the sanity to keep questioning Reborn rather than enabling him.

"Go away Reborn, let me sleep with my tiny boyfriend-"

"I'm not tiny," Tsuna uttered from under the sheets and got a pat to the head.

"Yes you are, my darling," Daiki assured, before readdressing Reborn as the Sky huffed in indignation. "You can harass him tomorrow, but tonight he gets nine-to-ten hours of sleep."

Tsuna waited, wondering who would bow out of this standoff.

"Fine. Nine hours of sleep, but no more."

Ooh, seventy-two to Reborn and seventy-four to Daiki.

"And no less."

"You'll make a fine negotiator for the Vongola, Yamaguchi-san."

"Get out, Reborn."

Tsuna laughed and let Daiki slide down the bed until his head was on their chest, a nose coming to nuzzle into his fluffy hair.

"Go to sleep, love. Your time is limited," Daiki urged, kissing his forehead and making orange fire twirl. "I will be here. Go to sleep."

"G'night, Daiki-kun," Tsuna murmured, eyes fluttering shut as another calming caress came to his nape.

"Good night, Tsunayoshi-kun."

* * *

"Tsuna-san," Yamamoto began, chewing on a bit of leftover sushi he had snatched from the bar at TakeSushi. "Why does Yamaguchi-san call you 'Tsunayoshi-kun'? Everyone else just says 'Tsuna'."

"Because the Boss and his paramour are not as _shameless-_" Gokudera began, but Tsuna laughed and quickly cooled down his Storm.

"Daiki-kun doesn't really shorten names, it's just a quirk of his," Tsuna admitted, then he paused and smiled a bit as he said, "And...because everyone calls me Tsuna, it makes it special that he calls me Tsunayoshi. I get to hear his voice for longer too."

"Ew, gross," Hana grumbled, scrunching her nose from across the room.

Gokudera was on his feet in an instant. "_YOU WANNA FUCKING FIGHT!?"_

"Wait, no, Gokudera-kun, not in the school building!"

**. . .**

"I don't even want to know, do I?" Daiki asked, lifting Tsuna off the ground and cradling his smaller love to his chest. "You got in trouble with Hibari-san again, didn't you?"

"I thought you didn't want to know," Tsuna huffed, already far too used to being carried by his boyfriend. In the beginning, it had made him flush like crazy and the whole school had gossiped, but now Tsuna was more than ready to curl up against his chest and let himself be taken to wherever Daiki saw fit.

"Hm," the Sun hummed noncommittally before the scent of disinfectant hit the Sky's nose and he realised he had been taken to the nurse's office. "Show me the scratches, love. I'll see what I can do for you."

"Thank you, Daiki-kun," Tsuna smiled before he showed his arms and lifted his shirt.

No swabs of disinfectant touched his skin, and no bandaids were stuck down. Instead, Daiki crouched down in front of Tsuna and softly touched every wound he saw. Sunshine warmth pressed into Tsuna's skin and he couldn't help the soft croon that bubbled out of his throat, something Flame primal making so pleased to feel his Sun tending to him like this.

"How are the others? Gokudera-san and Yamamoto-san?"

"Still running, I think," Tsuna responded, wondering then the healing had stopped and the simple touching started, still holding his shirt up. "But they're safe. I don't feel any urgency."

"Getting better with that Vongola clairvoyance of yours, I see," Daiki murmured.

"It's not clairvoyance, Daiki-kun," Tsuna grumbled, "It's intuition."

"I know, I just wanted to annoy you a bit, love."

Tsuna pouted and was rewarded with a kiss, his mouth opening without much convincing as he was pushed to lay across the infirmary cot.

"We've got fifteen more minutes of break," Daiki murmured, looming over and obscuring the light from the window.

"Better hurry before the devil finds us," Tsuna laughed.

'Devil', a code name. Because if you speak the name of the 'devil', then he _will _appear in all his tux and fedora glory.

"As you wish, Tsunayoshi-kun," Daiki smiled, before pressing in for another long kiss.

* * *

Tsuna was _livid_.

"Don't let this get to you, he wants to piss you off," Daiki warned, his fingers digging into Tsuna's shoulder.

"Well, he succeeded," Tsuna snapped, Hyper Dying Will burning in his eyes even as his Sun worked to keep him grounded.

Xanxus of the Varia watched on with a shit-eating grin spread across his face. He cocked his head and idly licked his lips, a surge of hot anger bubbling up inside Tsuna's Sky.

"Whether that dumbass kissed me or not isn't the main issue here, my love," Daiki hissed, yanking Tsuna when he leant forward. "You are an acting Vongola Heir and this is a serious issue. Do not let his childish actions get to your head."

The Vongola Sky grit his teeth before he took a long breath, feeling Daiki's grip loosen as he exhaled and the fingers start to trace a soothing pattern through his orange hoodie.

"That's it, darling," he praised softly. "Now, let's see if we can't get those Rings back."

"Would all the Guardians please go to their original stadiums!" the women in pink called.

The last battle for the Rings had begun, and now Tsuna had an even more personal grudge against Xanxus.

"Kick his ass for me, my little fish," Daiki grunted and Tsuna gave an unhesitating nod.

* * *

"What is going on, Tsunayoshi-kun," Daiki gritted out, arms crossed as he leant back against Tsuna's desk in his room. "Something has changed, you're being overprotective, aggressively even."

"I'm not," Tsuna grumbled, sitting cross-legged on his bed.

"Yes you are," he shot back. "For the past three weeks I haven't been able to go anywhere on my own. I either have you or one of your boys at my side. I went out to get _milk_ yesterday and Gokudera-san walked me to the shops!"

"A...a coincidence."

"Is it because of Xanxus-san? That was _weeks_ ago!"

"It's not!" Tsuna snapped, before softening his expression. "It's...not _that_."

"Talk to me, darling. What's going on in that head of yours?" the Sun urged, pulling his chair out and sitting down, arms resting on the back.

Tsuna withdrew a bit before he sighed and played with his blanket, picking at the seam work with his nails. He bit his lip and then glanced to Daiki, who waited patiently.

"Would...Would you tell me if you were hiding something?"

A long stretch of silence. It weighed down on Tsuna's lungs, and he bundled his fists as he measured his breaths.

"What makes you ask that?"

Not the answer he wanted.

"Something...something's been worrying me about you lately, Daiki-kun," he said slowly, raising his eyes to peer at the Sun. He choked when he saw the gaze that was stuck upon him, heart beating double-time as something Darwinian told him to watch his step. "My Intuition. I haven't been able to pinpoint it until now, but Daiki-kun, something is putting you in danger. I can feel it even now."

Another beat of nothing. Just _staring _with those _eyes_.

"It's, uh, different, sometimes," he continued, needing to justify and fill the silence. "Mostly at night, the, um, the feeling changes. It doesn't go away, per se, but it lightened a bit."

"This is causing you concern," Daiki said suddenly, voice nearly startling the Sky.

"Yes."

"Enough so that it's causing you to have people monitor me and for you to be…unhappy."

"Yes," Tsuna breathed out before he clambered off his bed and crossed the room, cupping Daiki's face in his hands. "Daiki-kun if you're hurting somehow _please_ tell me."

Not for the first time, Tsuna was glad that Daiki was sitting down for this interaction because those were the only times that Tsuna was taller than the other boy. The height gave him the advantage and able access to his face, so Daiki couldn't look away like he usually did in tense conversations.

Daiki wet his lips for a moment before he slowly uttered out, "Do you promise to stay?"

"Stay," Tsuna echoed, brow furrowed in concern.

A hand came out and grabbed the front of Tsuna's shirt in a punishing grip which stretched the fibres of the material. Tsuna glanced down to it and took a hand off Daiki's jaw to cup the fist reassuringly.

"I'll stay, I promise."

Daiki nodded slowly.

"Reborn!" he boomed, looking to the empty wall above Tsuna's doorway. "Leave, this is a private conversation from here on. We have no need for your eavesdropping."

There was a beat before a pressure in the room that Tsuna had long gotten used to eased, the Arcobaleno baby gone.

"How much concern is this actually causing you, my little fish?" Daiki asked, looking back to him.

"I've been losing sleep, Daiki-kun," he sighed, "I stay up at night worried that something will happen when I'm asleep and I won't know until I'm too late. I'm so nervous when I haven't seen you for long, and then when I do I expect you to be hurt somehow and can't relax until I've checked you."

Daiki listened quietly before letting out a breath and got to his feet, the chair wheezing as he lifted off. Tsuna took a couple steps back, pushed away to Daiki's arm's length before the Sun rolled his shoulders.

"I don't want you to worry so..." Daiki rubbed his nape as he looked down at the small Sky. "Tsunayoshi-kun, take my shirts off."

Tsuna blinked. Then he choked on his own spit.

"_What?!"_ he yelped, stumbling back before tripping on his schoolbag, narrowly missing the corner of his bed. "Daiki-kun, uh, what? Why? Oh my god, are you hurt under there or-"

"Tsunayoshi-kun, take a breath," Daiki soothed, kneeling down in front of the fallen boy. "Just...do as I ask. While I still have the guts. Please."

The little Sky gulped audibly before pushing himself onto his hands and knees, reaching for the buttons of Daiki' uniform shirt. His hands were shaking as he began to pluck them apart, nearly dizzy from how much heat was in his face. Tsuna had never seen the Yamaguchi in a state of undress, the closest thing to it being by the pool or the scant uniform of the Boxing Club.

So, you'd forgive him if he was both equal parts nervous and excited at this opportunity. Though, he wished there wasn't the underlying sense of foreboding dread.

Daiki waited until the last button was pinched open before he peeled the top layer off and let it pool on the ground behind him. He closed his eyes tight and raised his arms as Tsuna grabbed the white undershirt and tugged, warm skin on display as he pulled up, and up, and up-

Horrendous bruising peaked out from under a tight, black, half-singlet thing.

Tsuna's breath caught and the sirens that rung low in the back of his head _screeched_.

"Daiki-kun, what-"

"It's a binder," he clarified softly, playing with the strap on his shoulder. "It...It flattens my chest down."

"Binder," Tsuna breathed, pieces clicking painfully into place. Then, from under the cacophonic revelations, something whispered a warning that made his blood run cold. The bruises, the tightness, the _constriction_. "How long have you worn this today?"

Daiki shifted, unable to make eye contact since that final shirt had been lifted, both of them still kneeling on the carpet.

"Since three this morning," he admitted, before lurching and adding on, "But I took it off for half an hour at around seven for a shower and stuff so..."

Tsuna launched himself from his spot on the floor and grabbed his phone, fingers hitting keys with panicked precision as he searched up a question that made his throat close.

'_How long is too long to wear a binder?' Answer: eight hours, over time, wearing the garment for long hours can actually break down tissue and cause breathing problems, back pain and skin irritation…_

It was four in the afternoon now. Daiki had been wearing his binder for _thirteen hours_.

His Intuition crescendoed into a pure, unrelenting shriek.

Tsuna dropped his phone and scrambled back to Daiki, grabbing the older with desperate hands as he tugged and pushed at the binder, trying to get it _off_.

"Tsunayoshi-kun," Daiki uttered, confused.

"You've been wearing it for too long, Daiki-kun, it's not safe!" he shouted, getting his fingers under it and pulling up, but it didn't move quite the same way as a shirt; not enough stretch in the material.

"Hey! Hang on!" Daiki grunted, pushing Tsuna before giving a sharp hiss of pain. "I'll do it myself, give me a second!"

"S-sorry," Tsuna apologised, sitting back on his ankles anxiously. "But please, take it off Daiki-kun."

Daiki withered a bit before wriggling his way out of the garb, a soft grunt of exertion escaping as he finally tugged it over his head.

Tsuna made a noise of pain when he finally got to see the full extent of the colourful bruising that rode up Daiki's sides, his Sky pulsing in his core. He whined and crawled across the distance, curling up in Daiki's lap as he looped his arms around their neck.

"You've got to stop wearing that so often," he scolded, "It's hurting you."

Slowly, arms came and wrapped around him tight, pulling him against Daiki's chest as lips laid a kiss on his brow.

"You care more that I'm hurt than I'm female," he scoffed, something disbelieving in his voice.

"You'll be female later, but you're hurt _now_," Tsuna grumbled, nuzzling Daiki's shoulder for a moment before he sighed, lightly touching the bruised skin. "Hang on, we'll ask kaa-san where the salve in. And you're not wearing your binder tonight, you understand me?"

Daiki blinked, before he smiled and lowered his head to kiss Tsuna's frown.

"As you wish, my little fish."

* * *

Sawada Tsunayoshi, the Vongola Neo-Primo, smiled as Daiki cradled him in her arms, more than happy to let his girlfriend carry him to whenever she desired.

His dress shirt was rumpled from pulling another all-nighter in his study and he was running off of three pots of black coffee and a half-eaten brownie at this point. Needless to say, Daiki was not pleased with him.

"You're twenty-four years old and you still act like you're fifteen, little fish," she sighed, exasperated as she walked through the Vongola gardens, trying to find a suitable place for a summer mid-morning nap.

"I'm not little," Tsuna grumbled, as Daiki tested the spryness of some grass.

"Yes you are, my darling," she scoffed before sitting in the shade of a tree, little spots of sunshine breathing through the foliage and warming his skin. "You'll rest for an hour but no more, otherwise your sleep schedule will be tarnished."

"But I'm tired," he whined, hiding his face in her chest, a hand coming to comb through his hair.

"Then you should have come to bed last night, I was waiting for you," she huffed, "I thought you would have come considering I need to go back to Japan next week."

Tsuna tried not to frown at the reminder that their time together was, as always, finite. He sighed and pulled her arms to wrap around him tighter.

"I'm sorry. I'll come to bed tonight," he promised and got a kiss buried in his soft hair.

"I look forward to it," she smiled and cuddled him close. "Now rest."

"M'kay," Tsuna murmured, getting comfy in her lap. "I love you, Daiki."

"I love you too, Tsunayoshi."


	12. Chapter 12: KonMari

_***peers out from my abyss-cave***_ Hey~ How're y'all doin'? It's been a while~  
Anyway, 'cause 2020 has been a good kick in the shins for us all a wow it's only May, I've thrown together a feel-good little YamaYama domestic snippet for everyone! Cue me hopping on the KonMari train at least a year late.

Stay safe!  
LeftNotRight

* * *

"Hey, Takeshi," Daiki began as she looked up from her phone, the Rain pausing his cereal to peer at the woman across the breakfast nook. "I'm thinking of clearing out the wardrobe today."

Takeshi squinted a bit in confusion, before craning his neck and looking at the woman's screen. He let out a long huff when he saw what she had been scrolling through for the past fifteen minutes, slowly spiralling.

"You want to KonMari our wardrobe?" he asked, and she nodded quickly. "Go ahead."

"Yay," Daiki hummed, before finishing off her second breakfast and dumping the dishes in the sink.

Takeshi watched his wife disappear into their room with a slight smile and returned to his snack, the faint sounds of the wardrobe being torn apart coming from down the hall. He idly washed up their dishes before checking up on Lambo, poking his head into the teen's room to see him hunched over a work booklet while a gaming video played through his headphones.

The Rain nodded at his progress before ducking away without disturbing his son. He padded down the hall and rolled his shoulders as he entered the master bedroom, then let a laugh lurch out when he saw his wife sitting cross-legged on the floor, her laptop open to the side and playing the Marie Kondo's series.

Daiki had just finished culling through her dresses and had started on her pants drawer, eyeing each one up before casting them aside into one of two piles. She paused when he came in and gave her husband a wordless smile before going back to deliberate the emotional value of some black skinny jeans from her teens.

"Do you even still fit in those?" Takeshi asked, crawling onto the bed and flopping down on his belly to look over her shoulder.

"Of course I do," she responded hotly, before pausing. "...I think."

"Try it on," he suggested.

Daiki stared at him for a moment, "You just want me to take my clothes off."

Takeshi just grinned, "You'll need to see if they fit anyway, my love. I just happen to get a show."

Daiki rolled her eyes but paused the episode as she got to her feet, stepping her way out of her baggy pyjama pants. She scoffed as Takeshi perked up at the reveal before she grabbed her jeans and began wriggling her way into them.

"Okay, I think this might need to go," Daiki admitted from the floor, the waist stuck around her thighs. "Help please."

"Always willing," Takeshi confirmed as he got up and grabbed the loose ends of the jeans and all but ripped them off of her legs, getting a yelp of alarm out of her.

"Takeshi!" she scolded and was only met with laughter. "Put them in the pile by the door, Bo-kun's going to go through it later to see if he can thrift anything."

"Mhm," Takeshi nodded dumping the cast-off before returning to his place on the bed as Daiki propped herself back up to sit cross-legged, a spike of satisfaction going through him when she didn't bother to put her pyjama pants back on. "Daiki's so pretty."

"Even when I can't fit in my old skinny jeans?" she snickered and got a kiss on the cheek.

"Especially when you can't fit in your old skinny jeans," he assured and draped his arms down her shoulders to hold her close while she went about organising the bottoms she knew she fit in. "Eh? What's wrong with that one?"

"I don't really like it," Daiki admitted, holding a floral skirt out for them to see. "It fits me, but I kind of regret buying it."

"But _I_ like it," he pouted.

"Well, do _you _want it?" she asked, turning to him as he made a wordless whine.

"I like it on you."

"But I don't so in the baby-thrift pile it goes," Daiki announced and chucked it across the room where it fell into the haphazard mound. "It does not spark joy."

"Fine," Takeshi sulked, and Daiki squished his face in her hand before planting a kiss on him.

"Don't worry, I still have a lot more clothes that we both like. The white dress with the hydrangeas?"

"Mm, that's a really nice one," he smiled and cuddled into the hand holding him. "I like watching you when you're wearing that dress."

"I know you do," she laughed.

Takeshi curled up behind his wife as she continued to pull apart her wardrobe, warning him that they'd be attacking his side once she was done and that she would finally be ridding their house of his 'hideous puffy vest'.

"It's not that ugly," he sighed, watching her chuck away another laced singlet with the mutterings of 'thank you for your service'.

"I'll keep this," Daiki decided, tossing a dark denim jacket onto the designated pile. "It really is, my love."

"But it still fits me," he grumbled, kissing her cheek quickly before dropping his head onto her shoulder, laying on his side.

"And it's a travesty."

Takeshi mumbled something under his breath and burrowed his face deeper into her throat, getting a laugh from his wife who tangled her fingers into his hair and leant her cheek to his brow. He smiled to himself at the sound she made, the huffy indignation easily slipping away when his Daiki was so happy.

"What about this..." Daiki murmured, bringing up another shirt for them both to see. "Mm, no, it doesn't really spark any joy."

It sailed across the room and into the pile with a quick salute sent after it. Takeshi watched a couple more pieces be sent to their graves or be saved before he pushed himself up and slipped off the bed. Daiki barely paid his moving any mind as she spent some time playing with the layered lace material of a blouse. She looked up when her husband pushed it out of her hands and crawled into her lap, befuddled jabber tumbling from her lips at the sudden mounting.

"Does this spark joy?" Takeshi asked as he draped his arms across her shoulders and leant forward into her space.

Daiki blinked before she let out a laugh and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding him close as she leant against his chest. She cooed up at him, adoration in her eyes, "Yes, this does spark joy."

They grinned at each other before Takeshi pushed and they fell back across the piles of folded and strewn clothes, the softly instructing voice coming from the computer barely noticed as they laid across their mess and kissed until the next episode rolled.


	13. Chapter 13: Supernatural AU! (Part 3)

**|Supernatural AU!|**

**Part 3**

* * *

**Summary: The Winchesters get ready for the dinner with their new acquaintances when an old friend makes a visit. As the dinner progressed, new suspicions arise. Do Sam and Dean have their first suspect for their case?**

* * *

**Word Count: 6,254**

* * *

Daiki groaned as she rolled over and wrapped her arm around the warmth of her beloved, listening to his grumble as birds shrieked outside of the window. She crooned at the feeling of him and buried her nose into his shoulder, muttering about how they needed to get up soon, getting a grunt of dismissal as Takeshi put his hand on her waist.

"Kiss, kiss," she murmured, shuffling until they were closer and the Rain rolled his head and pressed their lips together. "More."

Takeshi hummed, pleased, as Daiki lazily crawled to loom over and lay warm kisses on him. He stubbornly kept his eyes closed, sleepy and content in the affection. Her lips were soft again, human with the turn of the sun, and as the swordsman raised his hands to run along the expanse of her back, he could feel how her leathery wings had retreated as well.

"Morning," the Sun hummed, trailing her kisses until she laid her affection on the soft flesh behind his ear. "Morning, my darling."

The Rain grumbled as she pulled from him, getting up on her knees and reaching for her phone which flashed with a nighttime of notifications on the side table. He murmured and touched at her hips as she perched herself atop his thighs, weighing heavy and warm while she swiped away texts and Google traffic notifications. He was close to sleep again when his lover grunted and got up off him, tugging the blankets away with a laugh.

"Come on, beloved, time to get up," Daiki snorted, grabbing his hands before he could snag back the blankets and using them to tug him onto his feet.

Takeshi whined and cuddled into her chest, pleased by the skin on skin contact that came with a lack of shirts. His wife cooed and kissed the top of his head, before catching him around the waist and tickling his sides, making him burst into screeched laughter.

Daiki was merciless for what felt like forever to the cackling Rain, before she giggled and wrapped her arms around him warmly, swaying them as her poor love caught his breath, weakly beating at her back and he slumped into the embrace.

"Evil," he panted.

"Loved," Daiki hummed back to him, kissing his cheek as it flushed. "Come, let's get breakfast ready. Miphy's gonna wanna go for a walk while the grass is still dewy."

"Let him walk himself," the Rain grumbled, holding onto his wife's waist as she tugged on a shirt. "You know he can."

"Yeah, but then I'd get no exercise."

"Exercise with _meee_," Takeshi hummed, smiling sleepily as he lightly caressed her hip, making the woman blink and then burst with a laugh, cheeks hueing at his suggestion.

Daiki huffed and turned in her lover's arms, smiling down at him as he dropped his chin onto her chest, lazily soaking in her warmth as she thumbed the dip of his back and the fine collection of hairs which sprung from his skin. She cooed and nuzzled the crest of his skull, murmuring little lilts of devotion to him, before yelping as the Rain dragged them back into their bed, thumping down on the mattress with a mutual huff.

"Sleep more," Takeshi grumbled, dragging his snickering wife up their bed until he could wrap them in their sheets again, her head pressed snugly under his chin as he cuddled her. "Sleep, sleep."

"Takeshi," she laughed, kissing his throat once and making him hum. "We need to get up."

"Two more hours, love. Two more hours and we'll get up," he grumbled, squeezing the woman tighter, until she chuckled and wrapped her arms around him too, burying her face further into his shoulder and sighing with a kind of delight that he wanted her to forever experience.

"Okay," Daiki hummed, eyelashes brushing the Rain's skin as she blinked. "Okay, two more hours."

The swordsman cooed, pleased as he felt the light touches and the hand gently drawing patterns along the span of his back, eyes drooping as he began to sink back into the drowsy feeling. His wife let out another clicking noise that made a spark of habitual happiness dance along his mind, associating the sweet noise with the satisfaction of his beloved, and always striving to hear it from his Daiki.

In an instant, their door burst open and the shouts of a child rang out, making Takeshi bolt up, before groaning as Lambo climbed onto his parents' bed. Daiki laughed from their pillows, perhaps having heard their child's approach long before, making the Rain pout at being played, before helping the pup on the floor up as well.

"Morning, Mama!" Lambo giggled, wiggling into the barely existent space between his parents.

"Morning, my baby," Daiki cooed, brushing some sleep from her son's eye and caressing his cheek. "Did you sleep well? Mephisto keep you company?"

"Mhm!" he grinned, squirming until he could cuddle into her chest, sniffing the detergent of her shirt and her underlying caramel odour.

"Good, good," she hushed, urging him to quieten as he settled down in her arms. "Daddy and Mama are going to sleep a bit more. Do you want to sleep with Daddy and Mama?"

Lambo smiled at the thought of more sleep, before humming in delight as Takeshi dragged the blankets over their forms, Mephisto finding a divet for himself by their feet. The small Lightning grumbled happily as his father pressed up against him from behind, reaching over to hold the back of his mother's shirt, wanting to feel the Sun's warmth.

Daiki crooned a noise human throats couldn't achieve, shuffling over until she could rest her head on the man's shoulder, feeling him pepper kisses along her brow and draw out purrs of satisfaction and delight.

"I love you, Mama," Lambo murmured, pressing closer to the Camazotz's chest, listening to an inhuman heart beat with affection. "Love you, Daddy."

The mother trilled sweetly, eyes flashing gold as she closed them in contentment, holding her son tight in her muscular arms. The father grinned and clutched his beloved and their child, washing his Rain over their Flames and soothing their embers until he felt them sleep against him, completely at ease.

"I love you both, my darling, my son," he whispered, before settling down as well.

* * *

Sam rolled his eyes at his elder brother from his bed, laptop on his stomach and clad in nicely casual attire, while Dean had been combing his hair incessantly for the past five minutes.

"Dean, we're going to dinner, not the White House."

"First impressions, Sam. Gotta make them work. They're important."

"We've already _made_ our first impressions!"

The elder Winchester pouted and tossed his comb into the sink, before prancing out and dropping his towel, making his brother gag and turn his eyes to the ceiling for sanctuary.

"Come on, Sammy!" Dean grinned, slapping his belt in place and brushing off his jacket. "We're off for some investigation!"

Just as he shouted that there was a hard thumping on the door. They looked to each other, tense and ready, hands creeping to their concealed firearms as another knock bashed through the motel room.

"_Sam! Dean! Open the door already!"_

The boys paused, wondering just why the hell _Bobby_ was here. Sam dismounted his bed and made his way over, opening the door to the gruff man.

"Darned kids making an old man wait outside," he grumbled, before coming to a stop in the middle of the room, eyeing the state of the place. "God, made the whole place a mess."

"Shut up, Bobby," Dean pouted, hiding a pair of dirty boxers under his pillow. "Why're you here?"

"What? Can't an old guy come up to see some of the only people he comes close to liking?"

Sam snorted before closing the door and locking it up, making his way across and giving the man a one-armed hug. "Heya, Bobby."

"See? Sam's got manners."

"Yeah, and Sam's always been one for using his mouth-" the large Winchester threw a book at his brother who dodged it before taking a drink from a beer bottle. "Bitch."

"Come on girls," Bobby sighed, sitting down on the foot of Dean's messed up bed. "Hey, why're you all fancied up?"

"He's going to his crush's house," Sam supplied before the elder could answer, getting a sharp glare in response. "Problem is, she's married with a kid."

"God, Dean," Bobby groaned, shaking his head. "Really?"

"Hey, I'm not going to shmoozey up the guy, I'm going for the case. They're locals, okay, they might have a clue of what's going on."

"How bad is it, Sam?" the old hunter asked, ignoring Dean's complaints.

"Happily married and they seem to be all over each other. The husband invited us over - probably wants to make friends," Sam answered sitting down at his laptop again and scrolled. "They're local, but they're new. Just moved from Japan."

"Oh, Japan, that's a beautiful country. Lovely people."

"Yeah, they seem pretty welcoming. Kind of feel bad this stuff's going down in their backyard," Sam hummed before Dean clapped his hands and jumped a little in a ridiculous way.

"Okay, Sammy! Time to go, nearly five-thirty and we want to be punctual!"

"Oh, I wanna see this," Bobby began, but Sam turned and gave an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, Bobby, but they're only expecting us. It'd be kind of, you know, rude if another just popped up."

The man sighed and huffed a bit, seeming pouty as he sat back down and crossed his arms.

"Yeah, true. I'll miss out on some prime entertainment, but you're right. Keep me posted, yeah? All the details."

"You got it."

"Okay, okay, now that we're all finished racking Dean for his _not a crush_ can we get going?" Dean grunted, the door already open as he waved Sam over. "Come on, or we'll be late!"

Sam and Bobby glanced to one another and shared a huffed laugh before the Winchesters bustled out the door, leaving the old man to sit down and look over their work.

"God, look at these amateurs."

* * *

Daiki yelped and lifted her pan high over Lambo's head as he ran into the kitchen, a handful of treats fisted beside him as Mephisto barked and chased hungrily. The Sun tsked and put the pan back on the fire before looking over her shoulder and calling for Takeshi, who stuck his head in from the dining room.

"Can you keep Bo-kun busy so he doesn't come into the kitchen?" she sighed, wiping her hands on her apron and pushing their son towards his father. "Wash your hands before you touch anything, baby."

"'Kay, Mama," Lambo said before running off to the bathroom, Mephisto crunching on the treats out of sight.

"How's the food coming along?" Takeshi asked, grabbing plates from a high cabinet. "It smells good."

"Mm, I do wonder if they will like katsudon though," she hummed before taking a spoon to the pan and cupping her hand under as she turned. "Here, try it."

Takeshi blew gently on the broth before taking the spoon in his mouth, a happy rumble going off deep in his chest as he pulled back and licked his lips.

"It's good!" he grinned, getting a smile before he reared up and kissed her quickly on the lips. "What part are you up to?"

"I just need to put the egg in, let it simmer and I'm done with them all. The rest of them are sitting on the table to cool - Bo-kun, if you touch that you're in trouble!"

Lambo pouted and pulled his hand away from the fried pork, dashing off to the dining room to help set everything up.

"I think you should follow him," Daiki laughed before bowing her head and pressing a kiss to her husband's cheek.

"Okay, you going to be okay here?"

"Yep, I'll leave the rest to you."

Takeshi nodded and took the plates stacked in his hands over to the table, Lambo running around and putting out the cutlery on every seat. He hummed at his son as the boy began excitedly chattering about the game he had gotten into recently over the clattering of metal and ceramic.

The doorbell made everyone look up from their work and Daiki thinned her lips for a moment, her grip on the pan tightening until Takeshi walked over and cupped her cheek.

"Everything will be okay," he assured, "Trust in my decisions."

The creature gazed down at him quietly, before giving a sigh and nodded her head.

"Okay...You better go get that now."

The Rain smiled and kissed her quickly on the lips before turning and calling out to the doors, his voice jocund.

"Hello! Welcome," Takeshi greeted, opening the door to the two brothers who shifted awkwardly on the other side. "Come on in! Take your shoes off, please!"

Sam and Dean glanced to each other before toeing off their boots and stepping into the space. They looked around from under the guise of curiosity, scanning the photographs of exotic people they didn't recognise. Oriental designs were draped over Western structures, and some kind of incense scented the air in attempts to dilute the smell of fried pork and cooking rice.

From around a corner, a head of untamed black hair popped out, mint green eyes staring at them unsurely.

"Bo-kun, go feed Miphy," Takeshi instructed, knowing the child had a distaste for these men. The term 'Hunter' still fresh in his mind. "Make sure he doesn't come and try to steal the table's dinner."

"Okay, Daddy," the child murmured and ducked away.

"Uh, good kid," Sam complimented, watching the child run off into obscurity.

"Sorry, he doesn't do well with new people," Takeshi apologised, rubbing his nape. "Anyway, come on in. Daiki's just about done. Ever heard of katsudon?"

"Yeah, I have," Sam hummed, getting a look of surprise from Dean. "Pork cutlet bowls, yeah? A Japanese dish."

"That's it," the Rain laughed before they turned into the dining room. "They're here, love!"

"Hi guys!" came the far off call, but Daiki didn't come out personally. The brothers chalked it up to the sound of sizzling meats and the attention paid to that.

"She'll be with us in a bit, but come! Hang up your coats or something, would you like something to drink?"

"Beer, if you have it?" Dean huffed and Sam gave him a look, knowing his brother had already knocked back enough that evening.

"Just water for me, thanks," the younger smiled.

"Got it, dinner will be ready in a second. Take a seat."

Takeshi smiled welcomely at the two and walked back into the kitchen where Daiki stood, tense and obscured. He furrowed his brows in concern and touched the woman's waist, making her look up from the stove and lean against him.

"It'll be okay, my love," he assured, kissing her shoulder until Daiki dropped her head to rest her temple on his brow. "I'll be there with you the whole time. You won't be alone ever."

"...Where's our Bo-kun?" Daiki asked, idly turning off the stove before she touched his face, tilting him closer to kiss her temple. "Is he safe?"

"Bo-kun is feeding Miphy outside," Takeshi said softly, "If he's with that old pup he's in the safest place in the world."

"True," Daiki laughed, obviously trying to pull herself out of her panic. "...I love you."

"I love you too."

Daiki smiled before she gave her husband a soft kiss and pushed him away, otherwise, they'd never part in time. Takeshi whined and tried to reach for her again, but she kept out of his reach and warded him off with her wooden ladle.

"Okay, okay," the Rain laughed and grabbed two bottles of beer from the fridge as well as a jug of cold water. "Give me a shout when it's time to serve, my love."

"Okay, and remember to call in Lambo...Don't let our baby out of your sight."

"Of course," Takeshi agreed, with a sombre nod of his head.

Daiki thinned her lips before she went back to patting generous scoops of freshly cooked rice into bowls, steam billowing out of the rice cooker. She topped each one off with broth, vegetables, egg and crispy pork cutlets before lining the dishes onto a tray for easier transport.

"Takeshi!" she called, both for his help and because _she needed to see him_.

There was a beat where he didn't respond fast enough and Daiki felt her heart leap into her throat - then Takeshi rounded the corner and hushed her needless worry. He smiled up at her as she stuck her gaze upon him and followed him through the room until he was pressed against her front and cooing.

"All ready?" he hummed, and she gave a quick, robotic nod, still _watching _him. "Let's go then, stay behind me if you want to."

Takeshi turned and picked up the tray, hearing Daiki growl something low and unintelligible behind him. It was a harsh sound, and not one he could say he liked to hear from his love, but the Rain worked to ignore it as they stepped into the dining room.

"Dinner is ready!" Takeshi grinned, placing down the tray and passing around three bowls; Daiki slid two others onto the table as well.

Lambo appeared from the backdoor and washed his hands in the bathroom before jumping up into his chair. He sat as close to his mother as possible, both because of his wariness of the strangers, and because he didn't like the Hunters so close to his Mama.

"Do you want juice, baby?" Takeshi asked, wiping off some dirt from his cheek.

"Yes!" Daiki sent him a look. "Please."

"So Miphy's fed?" she hummed, pouring blackcurrant juice into a cup.

"Yes, Mama," Lambo nodded before taking a sip.

"Thank you, baby. I'm sure he's very happy now."

Lambo glowed under the praise before they both turned, finally unable to ignore the elephant in the room.

Sam and Dean Winchester smiled awkwardly as Lambo glowered at them from behind his cup, Daiki's hand still resting on his shoulder in a show of support and control.

"Hello, I'm sorry I couldn't receive you sooner," Daiki greeted, smiling at the two who lowered themselves into seats across from her. "I hope the dinner will suit your tastes, I tried to use ingredients you'd be more familiar with."

"It looks great, thank you," Sam grinned, before nudging Dean who was staring at the slabs of fried pork waiting for him.

"Yeah, amazing," Dean spluttered.

Takeshi laughed as he finally sat down at the head of the table, Daiki smiling at him from his left side. It was a bit awkward, sitting at the dining table for the first time since they had moved to America. Usually, since there were only three of them - save Mephistopheles - they would sit at the little table in the kitchen, or take their meal into the living room and crowd around the coffee table on the floor while news or cartoons played.

"So, what brings you to this side of Pennsylvania?" Takeshi asked as everyone got tucked into their bowls.

"We're just touring around," Dean shrugged, barely swallowing a bit of pork in time. "Cameron here just graduated college, so we're celebrating his freedom."

"Oh, congratulations," Daiki smiled at Sam, who huffed a bit in faux bashfulness. "What did you study?"

"Law," Sam answered easily, "Stanford."

"Very fancy," the woman chuckled, reaching over to replenish Lambo's juice quickly. "Takeshi and I studied at Tokyo University."

"Oh, is that how you met?" Sam smiled, and Takeshi let out another laugh.

"No, no, Daiki and I met when I was nine."

"Childhood friends? Cute."

"Childhood sweethearts," Takeshi grinned and Daiki groaned, putting her face in her hand, ears flushing red. "We got engaged when I was ten."

Sam nodded as he spooned more rice onto his spoon before he choked and yelped, "_Ten?!"_

"Oh my God," Daiki sighed, and Lambo laughed from his seat.

"I asked her during a sleepover-"

"Technically, he asked to be _my _wife," Daiki rebutted and Takeshi pouted at her with a huff.

"Oh, it was weird back then and you know it," he huffed, before returning to his slack-jawed audience. "So yeah, we were engaged for roughly ten years before Daiki finally let me get married to her after I turned nineteen."

"We've been married for only a bit more than a year now," Daiki smiled, touching the hand that rested beside her own.

"What did your parents think of all this?" Sam coughed, looking between them with a new light.

"My old man thought we were just being kids, but started talking to me about it more seriously when we kept it up into Middle School and High school."

"My mum didn't really care. She thought I'd eventually settle down with someone else," Daiki shrugged, before looking up when she felt Takeshi's foot nudge her calf.

"Wow...Is that normal where you come from?" Dean asked carefully.

"Huh? Oh, no not really but..." Takeshi glanced at Daiki and smiled a bit, a conspiratorial gleam in their eyes. "Our hometown is a bit of a weird one anyway, by normal standards, haha."

Daiki smiled and ate some more well-seasoned rice as Takeshi regaled Sam and Dean of the (abridged) adventures he shared with his Middle school friends, such as running into a gang in an abandoned mall and getting bitten by one of them, the time where he and Hayato thought Tsuna had been kidnapped by Yakuza, and finding out that their homeroom teacher had faked his credentials. In exchange, their two guests gave their own (abridged) stories, about times Sam had been 'nearly recruited by a cult' and when Dean was accidentally buried alive which led them to meet their new friend Castiel.

"Wow, sounds like you've been on some adventures," Daiki laughed as the two brothers bickered about whether or not Dean had indeed drunk even a sip of water during their last 'trip' or if he had spent two weeks running purely on booze, gum and pie.

"Could say the same about you," Dean smiled before they turned as Lambo put down his spoon and shuffled a bit to get his mother's attention.

"Mama, I'm done. Can I go play now?" He asked, looking hopeful to leave the table.

"Okay, love. Go let Miphy in too, he's probably getting bored out there now," Daiki allowed, "Go put your plate in the washing machine first."

"Mhm," Lambo nodded before he winced as she continued to stare expectantly. "Goodnight Mama, Daddy...Goodnight Mr Stottle and Mr Stottle."

"Uh, goodnight, kid," Dean uttered out.

"Goodnight, baby," Takeshi smiled and watched as the child all but fled from the table.

Daiki listened to her chatty husband talk up their guests, his Rain working around her Sun to soothe down her instincts to run from these Hunters. Run, or to fight.

Eventually, everyone finished their meal and Takeshi manoeuvred them over to the living room where they sat together and continued to engage in conversation, Sam and Takeshi hitting it off big time. Daiki brought out some wine and brandy and Sam finally caved to his brother's pestering to drink 'some of the good stuff'.

Daiki smiled as Takeshi finally flopped onto her, dragging her arm over his shoulders so he could cuddle into her side uninhibited. She cooed and kissed his brow, a hefty flush colouring his cheeks from the alcohol as he began to slur his words.

"I love you Daiki, can't wait to get married to you," he swooned, nuzzling her throat until she laughed.

"We _are _married now, love!" Daiki chuckled, running her hand along his spine. "Did you forget?"

"Really?" Takeshi gasped, unrivalled happiness shining in his eyes.

"Over a year, my darling."

"Yay!"

Sam and Dean glanced at each other with wry smiles of humour, feeling very much like the audience of a sitcom. They watched, then remembered the monster crawling around the town, and decided with even more resolve that they needed to hunt it down before anyone else was hurt.

Takeshi, and even Daiki, both fit the check for the victims. Young, handsome and physically fit.

"Mama?"

They turned and quietened when they saw Lambo standing in the archway to the hall, a doll grasped in his hands and an anxious look in his eye.

"Bo-kun, what's wrong?" Daiki asked, sitting up a bit as Takeshi drunkenly blinked at their child.

"Can you..." Lambo shifted a bit. "Can you check my closet for me?"

"Oh, of course, darling," Daiki smiled as she got up, kissing her husband on the forehead when he whined. "Sorry Henry, Cameron. I'll be back in a bit. Let's go Bo-kun."

Sam and Dean nodded as Daiki turned her son and walked with him to his room. They face forward again and froze.

Yamamoto Takeshi was staring them down from the other couch, showing no sign of being bumbling drunk.

"So, how long are you boys staying in town for?" He asked, seeming as chipper as ever. But there was something in his eyes that made Dean shift around until he could feel the barrel of his gun press against his ribs within his jacket.

"Only two weeks, maybe three," Sam managed out, fighting not to glance at his brother. "Depends how quickly we get through what we're here for."

"You'd better finish up your sightseeing," Takeshi recommended, his fingers lightly drumming on his right knee. "And leave quickly."

"Any reason why?" Dean grunted, leaning forward slightly.

"People like you only mean trouble. And my family has experienced _enough _trouble."

This time Sam did look to Dean, confusion appearing on their expressions.

"What trouble?" Sam asked carefully, always the more tactful one.

"You're looking for something in this town, I know that much," Takeshi breathed out, then he leant forward and hissed, "Stay away from _my wife_."

Dean flinched and brought his hands up with a crooked smile, "H-hey, I didn't realise she was-"

"Bo-kun's finally asleep again," Daiki sighed, coming back into the room with a wide-jawed yawn. Then she paused and eyed the atmosphere of the room. "Uh..."

"Daiki~!" Takeshi cooed, reaching for the woman and making grabby hands.

"Honey, I think you've had enough for tonight," Daiki laughed, coming over and brushing his fringe from his face, letting him lean into her touch. She smiled as her husband kissed her palm before turning to their guests, who had quickly rightened themselves at her approach. "It was wonderful having you over, but it looks like Takeshi's done for the evening."

"Yes, of course," Sam nodded, getting to his feet. "We should be going anyway, early start tomorrow."

"I'll see you out," Daiki smiled, and followed them to the door where they toed on their shoes. "Be careful on your way home, there's been some scary things happening lately."

"Scary things?" Dean asked, pausing his shoelaces.

Sam glanced to his brother, wondering if they should stay any longer than necessary after that interaction with the husband.

"People disappearing and showing up dead. Young men, like yourself. Watch each other's back, okay?"

"How long has this been happening?" Sam urged softly.

"Couple of days, maybe two weeks now," Daiki sighed, "We're getting worried; family is coming from overseas for Lambo's birthday soon, I'd hate for them to get caught up in it."

"I'm sure it won't hold for that long, the police will figure it out," Dean assured, reaching out to pat the woman's shoulder.

Then arms came from behind Daiki and wrapped around her waist, Takeshi's chin coming to prop on her shoulder.

"Shujin-chan, you're taking so _looong_!" He whined, Japanese falling off his inebriated tongue. "I'm your husband, Daiki, pay attention to _mee_!"

"Takeshi, c'mon," Daiki laughed, rubbing the hands pressed to her stomach. "Okay, okay. Goodnight you guys, travel safe."

"You too, see you around," Sam smiled and nearly shoved his brother out the door to get away from the glare that was sent by the shorted husband. Only when they were safely in Dean's 'Baby' Impala and half-way down the road did Sam finally sigh and say, "Damnnit Dean, why d'you have to try to touch her again!?"

"I wasn't expecting the dude to pop up like a freaking ghost!" Dean defended as they came to a set of lights. Then he took a breath and swerved them to the side of the road and said, "Wait, you don't think that-"

"Dean, no, don't-"

"No, Sammy, just hear me out," Dean pressed, turning in his seat. "Young, good looking dudes start to go missing just as Mr Possessive and his rockin' wife move in?"

"They've been here for five months Dean, and it's not like they're the only new family in town. And can you _stop _talking about his _wife_?"

"The dude really did not want us in town. He said 'our kind'-"

"You were hitting on - and I repeat - his _wife_. Of course, he wants you to get lost!"

"Our '_kind',_ Sammy!"

"Okay," Sam sighed, slumping back against his seat and massaging his temples. "Okay, we'll keep Yamamoto Takeshi in mind. We'll look him up, see if anything weird happened around him before."

"Good. Good, we've got something now. A solid suspect," Dean nodded and rolled them back onto the road.

Sam rubbed his face and watched the lights sail past them, hoping Bobby would smack some sense into his elder brother.

* * *

Daiki stared at the closed door and listened closely until the sound of that infamous Impala faded down the road. She sighed and turned around in the arms wrapped around her, Takeshi quick to take up the opportunity and lay his head on her chest.

"What did you say to them, Takeshi?" She asked, staring down at him.

"I told them how much I love you," he smiled, a hand coming off her waist to unbutton the first few buttons of her shirt so he could press his face directly into her chest. "I love you a lot, Daiki~!"

"You're not really drunk are you," Daiki sighed, petting the back of his head as he nosed at her bra and giggled. "...Actually, maybe you are."

"Just a lil' bit," he admitted. "Let's go to bed Daiki, c'mon, c'mon."

"Okay, I guess we'll clean up in the morning," she laughed as he dragged her down the hall, barely giving the woman time to slap at light switches and darken the rooms. "Slow down, what's the rush, love?"

"Wanna cuddle. Wanna cuddle now, lots, together. Did you know I'm drunk?" Takeshi rambled as he stumbled out of his pants and wrestled with his shirt.

Daiki stared at her mess of a husband and let out a laugh as she closed the door behind her. She crossed the room and helped her love out of his shirt, the man giving a wide-eyed look at his surroundings now that they were no longer made completely of shirt.

"I never would have guessed," she huffed, stripping down as well and guiding her fumbling husband back to their bed. "Cuddle time?"

"Cuddle. Cuddle with me, c'mon," Takeshi urged, grabbing handfuls of his wife wherever he could and tugging on her. "I wanna get married to you Daiki, can we get married?"

"We're already married," she laughed, laying herself down and letting the Rain scramble all over her, bouncy and cuddly tonight. "God, did you have sugar with your wine or something?"

"Can we get married again? Please? Then we'll have _two _anniversaries!"

Daiki smiled at her husband and cupped his face in her hands. She cooed at him as he pressed his chest down against hers, greedily taking up as much of her space as possible.

"I think it's time we went to sleep, my love," Daiki purred, curling a leg around his thigh and scratching his scalp.

"Aw, can't we stay up a little longer? We can play! When was the last time we played in bed, c'mon-"

"Four days ago and if you say 'c'mon' one more time-"

"But Daiki!" Takeshi whined, backing down the bed until he could kiss at her stomach. "That was _four days _ago!"

"You know what I think?" Daiki asked, catching his chin with her hand and making him look up at her. "I think you're trying to distract me from what you said to those Hunters while I was gone."

Takeshi paused before he let out a sigh and got off his wife, sitting himself down on the bed beside her. The Rain grumbled and rubbed his nape, tugging the blankets higher on his waist.

"What gave me away?"

"I've seen you drunk, my love," Daiki scoffed, rolling onto her side and propping her head up with her hand. "You'd be rutting on me, no questions asked."

"I was though," Takeshi pouted, accepting the hand that was slid into his own.

"Mm, not quite. Too wordy, usually you're just saying 'fuck me' or 'let me fuck you' over and over. You're not quite here enough to call it 'playing'. Especially recently."

Takeshi signed and rubbed his face, ears heating up at the blatant call out of his drunken hormonal rages. He glanced over to his wife and gazed at the way the blankets hugged the curve of her waist as she laid on her side.

"Can I have a second take?"

"Nope, we're talking about it."

The Rain grumbled and squeezed the hand in his own for a moment.

"I told them to leave you alone."

Daiki blinked, before her eyes widened and a strike of fear hit her core, "Takeshi! That makes us look _so _suspicious! Like, shit, we can't be more suspicious!"

"They'll just think I don't like men sneaking around my wife," he defended, "Which I don't, for the record."

"Takeshi, what if they-"

"Hey, shh, it's okay," Takeshi soothed, pulling his wife against his side as her breath began to come short. "If anything, they're going to be suspicious of me, not you. And I don't think Hunters are in the market of the Mafia."

"Takeshi," Daiki wheezed out, like the idea of _him _being targeted hurt her more.

The Rain furrowed his brows and pressed a kiss into her hair, keeping her close until she threw her leg over his own and crawled on top of him. He huffed as he was dragged down from the headboard and hidden under her size, his wife hunching over him defensively.

"It's okay, love," he hushed, getting his arms up and around her, feeling the skin of her back ripple as the origins of her wings became restless. "I'm human, they won't hurt me. You said so yourself, they're sympathetic."

She shivered all over and began grooming her husband nervously, licking at his throat and nibbling at the edges of his collarbone. The Sun purred into his ear as he held her tighter and tilted his head to the side, allowing her to do as she wished to calm herself down.

"Throwing holy water at me, sprinkling some salt, or chanting some Latin doesn't hurt me, Daiki. So it's better if they suspect me, rather than you."

"_Iron or silver bullets_ can hurt you though," she hissed, and was quickly kissed in response.

"Good thing I have practice dodging bullets, then, huh?" he smiled, caressing her cheek with his fingertips. Then he tugged his wife down and began to lightly bite at her arms and shoulders, the sounds of his wife purring such a soothing tone.

Daiki paused her purring and frowned, making Takeshi sigh and pull on the blankets until they draped across the small of her back and kept them warm. He rubbed her back and massaged along her spine, gently pressing his lips over hers until he coaxed her to reciprocate.

"I love you," Takeshi murmured into her ear, feeling the rumble in her chest as it was pressed to his own. "Daiki, I love you so much."

"I love you too," Daiki grumbled, her voice taking a rough, almost guttural tone. "So please, don't tempt those Hunters."

"I'm sorry, I promised to keep you safe."

"Keep me safe by staying out of their way," she pressed, getting up onto her arms to look down at her husband. "Let them hunt whatever is on the streets, then they'll leave. Please."

Takeshi reached up and touched along Daiki's front, letting his fingers play along her collarbone before they lingered over the smooth scar that measured her stomach.

"No one will ever touch you again."

Daiki stared down at her Takeshi, before she sighed and got off him. She laid down on her side, her back turned to him and closed her eyes resolutely.

Takeshi sat up and gazed at his wife's back. He let out a breath and turned off the light by their bed before laying down behind Daiki, reaching out to drape his arm over her waist. The Rain pressed his face into her nape and held into her tight, nudging his knee in between her thighs so he could get closer. He heard Daiki give a sigh before he felt the hand he had laid on her stomach be grasped and pulled until his knuckles were pressed to Daiki's lips.

"Goodnight, Takeshi," she murmured against his knuckles.

"Goodnight, Daiki," he breathed out, kissing her shoulder before settling down to the sensation of her warmth.


End file.
